Shakespeare Extravaganza

It really has been more than a year since I wrote here. Kinda makes me think of how time flies and that life is transient and all that jazz. Either that or I am lazy as hell. It’s probably the latter.

Anyway, seeing that my writing has been significantly reduced to an annual one-off thing, I’d better make this post slightly above average, even though that would be a hard goal to score after not writing for so long. Man, what a vicious cycle.

So here goes the "Shakespeare Extravaganza" that I have been planning for days. I realize that it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am feeling very self indulgent right now, so bear with me. Since plays are meant to be performed and not just read, I have also included links to YouTube videos of selected scenes at the end of every entry, for your reference. Let’s start now, shall we?

1. Macbeth

I know of many people who are conflicted about Macbeth. On the one hand, it is possibly the greatest tragedy Shakespeare ever wrote, arguably of course; and on the other hand, most everyone who took the SPM would look back to that time and associate that with the confusion of “Life’s Brief Candle”, a famous soliloquy from the play. The trauma of having gone through that usually puts people off Macbeth, which is a shame because in terms of length, the play is considerably shorter compared to the other tragedies (King Lear creeps to mind) and the storyline much simpler.

The play starts with the audience being informed of Macbeth’s valiant acts in a recently concluded war with a rebel, the Thane of Cawdor. We are told of his awesome feats in battle by another soldier, for the attention of King Duncan, who immediately plans to make Macbeth the new Thane of Cawdor, replacing the rebel. Before Macbeth even hears a word of this plan to honour him, he comes across the three weird sisters (or witches, if you will) prophesying Macbeth’s rise to the Thaneship of Cawdor and later….. to the Kingdom of Scotland. Mind you, Macbeth is not Duncan’s son as you probably can tell anyway, so the only way Macbeth can ever be the next king is if Duncan and his heirs to the throne die first.

Now, there seems to be the suggestion that Macbeth might be able to ignore the weird prophesy, but the possibility is dashed by a message sent by King Duncan’s envoy, informing Macbeth that he is now the Thane of Cawdor. Man being what he is, Macbeth grows impatient and begins to eye the throne, even considering foul play to speed up the process. It does not help matter that his wife is this insanely ambitious bitch with a heart of stone to go with it. But just how a far can a man go for ambitions? In a heated exchange with his wife, who accuses him of being lily-hearted in his pursuit of power, Macbeth retorts the following:

“I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more, is none”

This is a play that touches the psychological consequences of immoral acts. More than any other plays, Shakespeare devotes a great amount of time in showing Macbeth’s internal miseries. How can he not, when in his greed, Macbeth is driven to regicide and still later, to murders of innocent children? One cannot commit all those offences and expect to get away with it. We see how Macbeth subtly suffers from insomnia because he is too afraid to sleep, having killed Duncan while the latter was asleep. And we see how he becomes increasingly reliant of evil (the three sisters) in his efforts to stay in power. It’s an avalanche of evil deeds, one that results in destruction to the victims as well as the perpetrators.

Give this play a try. It’s packed with a lot of action and makes you think twice before doing something immoral to get where you want to be. And, for those of you who are fans of the "tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow" soliloquy, here are two famous renditions for comparison; one by Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and the other by Ian McKellen (Magneto/Gandalf):

2. Much Ado About Nothing

I am not really a fan of Shakespeare’s comedies, but a few stand out in my eyes, one of them being the light and sweet Much Ado About Nothing. The premise is nothing original; we see two couples who are brought together in a merry little town of Messina; one through cupid, and the other through their friends’ mischief. It's a story as old as love itself, which actually adds to the charm of the play.

The play opens with the announcement that Don Pedro ( who just won a war) is visiting his old friend, Signior Leonato, the governor of said Messina. Don Pedro brings along Don John, his illegitimate brother; Claudio, a young Count; and Benedick, a confirmed bachelor. Leonato’s daughter, Hero, will be paired with Claudio, in what is suggested to be love at first sight. Whereas Benedick, the self-proclaimed bachelor for life, seems to be a convenient match for Leonato’s niece, the seemingly misandristic woman who is sworn against men. But are they as ill-suited as they seem? Hmmm…

Obviously the answer is “No”, for therein lies the comedy of the play. It strikes one as being too simple a premise for comedy, and I would be the first to agree with that claim. But it is not a stretch, I think, to say that the best comedies -in good hands- are usually the simplest. I cannot remember how much I laugh throughout  the film version of this play, directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh in 1993. The verbal sparrings between Benedick and Beatrice (as you can see in the video above) are cruel, sweet and funny all at the same time, and before long, you just cannot wait to see them fall in love with each other, thanks to their conspiring friends who matchmake people for fun (because, hey, that’s what soldiers who return from war do every day!).

Shakespeare being Shakespeare, there is also the dark side of Much Ado that threatens to shatter the bliss enjoyed by the ‘good’ characters. Don John, whose mission in life appears to be to vex his brother, does all that he can to stop Claudio’s marriage to Hero. And it all unravels at the expense of everyone involved. One cannot help but to be reminded of how fleeting happiness is. Once in a while, when you are not careful, misery comes knocking and one just needs to cope with that.

To me, the highlight of the play is when Benedick, after an elaborate trick, finds himself in love with Beatrice and seeks to justify this sudden turn from the bachelor life he swore himself to. It’s a great piece of comedy and Branagh aced it, in this video:

All in all, to every bad in life, there’s good to accompany it, and it usually makes all the difference =)

3. Othello

Let me first admit that the first time I watch the film version of Othello, I saw Sir Lawrence Olivier in thick make-up pretending to be the black eponymous Moor. I was really put-off by that, added to the fact that I have always found Sir Lawrence’s acting a bit too hammy to my liking. It’s a different age, I suppose, but it left a bitter taste to my experience of Othello.

So when I heard that there was another film version out there, one that stars a black man in the role of Othello and the ever wonderful Branagh as the villain, I didn’t think twice before watching it on YouTube. I can safely say that it was one the best decisions in my life. (I am inclined towards the melodramatic, so bear with me) For the first time, I began to see how difficult it must be for a black man to survive a white man’s world, which is essential to a play like Othello.

At the opening of the play, we are told that Iago the villain has been passed over for promotion in favour of another soldier under Othello’s command, the straight Cassio. In an act of revenge, Iago plans to sully Othello’s name by blowing the cover of Othello’s secret marriage to Desdemona, while at the same time pretending to be Othello’s loyal friend. Italy at the time was still rife with racism, and Desdemona’s father took the news badly even though he was once fond of Othello. He even warned Othello to be careful of Desdemona:

“Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see/She has deceiv’d her father, and may thee.”

Iago, seeing his chance, exploited the warning to further fill the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind. Desdemona is, by all accounts, a virtuous woman, so it takes a masterful villain to change the way Othello sees his wife and loses sleep over her fidelity (or the alleged lack thereof). It is in this respect that Shakespeare proves a crafty artist in his creation of Iago. As a villain, he was numerously called by others as “honest Iago”, and is universally liked by all other characters in the play, something that you cannot say for Shakespeare's other villains. Iago is also honest in his duplicity as he declares: “I am not what I am.” The way Iago plays all other characters is fascinating to watch, even though we know just how much misery it causes Othello and the ones around him in the end.

Here is a video of how Iago starts make Othello suspicious of Desdemona. Nice scene.

Never has the subject of jealousy been tackled so plainly as Othello does. One sees how suspicion, when inflamed just right, gives birth to an irrational condemnation of the thing that we hold most dear. I guess fear of losing something is one of the ingredients required to actually lose it. Here is an exchange between Othello and Iago. Powerful performance all around:

And here is the full movie, courtesy of the uploader and YouTube. Don't mind the subtitle. Enjoy =)

A Streetcar Named Desire

It's 2 in the morning and by anyone's standard, far too early (or late) for a book review. But I can't seem to sleep so you readers must endure another review up here. Boy, it sure feels strange when this blog is updated regularly, doesn't it? :D

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play written by one of the most famous American playwrights of the 20th century, Tennessee Williams. His other work, The Glass Menagerie, was one of the play options for my A-Level literature several years ago, but Mr Cranwell, my teacher, opted for another play called 'The Rivals'. To this day, I can't remember the reason for the life of me. Anyway, back to A Streetcar Named Desire. Blanche DuBois, a southern American belle used to a life of refined luxury, has just arrived in New Orleans to stay with her sister, Stella, after her family home was lost to a bad mortgage. Blanche, who shows signs of mental instability, almost immediately got on the wrong side of Stella's 'common' and rough husband, Stanley Kowalski, and the play follows their conflicting personalities and the tragedy that it leads up to. 

 This play strikes me as an emotionally violent piece of work, with characters moulded to demand raw performances from the actors. Even before watching the famous 1951 film adaptation starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, the written play's strong language shocks me at times and lends the play an even more shocking tone overall, considering the nature of the two main characters. Blanche is suggested to be quick with verbal replies, something that she utilizes frequently in reasserting her superior upbringing, much to Stanley's chagrin. Stanley, a rough working class man that represents the new generation of New Orleans of 1940s, is forever annoyed by Blanche's efforts to disrupt the power dynamics of the Kowalski household. The climax of the play, which I will not reveal, can be seen as a metaphore of an accumulation of antagonism between two different lifestyles post WW2.

Leigh as Blanche and Brando as Stanley in the film adaptation (1951)

This play reminds me of Shakespeare's King Lear, in that my sympathies are evoked for different characters at different times all through the play. Despite the brutish manners of Stanley's, I cannot help but feel sorry for his desperate cries to keep Stella by his side after beating her up in a drunken stupor, something that the feminist in me can never tolerate. Toward the end of the play, I found myself rooting for Blanche instead, as I see her struggle to keep her sanity in a harsh world, surrounded by 'deliberate cruelty'. And then, of course, there are Stella and Mitch, the two side characters who are trapped in Stanley and Blanche's power play. In the end, I cannot really make up my mind as to whose side it is that I am meant to be on. Perhaps no one and everyone. 

I would recommend this to fellow theater freaks who are interested in the study of human characters. Casual readers might find this play a bit too theatrical in its writing, in which I case I would suggest watching the film instead, as it is very faithful to Williams' play, although the director chose to write a different ending. Besides, plays are meant to be watched, not read. And when you have a young Brando in the lead, you can't really say no to that, can you? ; )

8 stars out of 10.

The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Contains spoilers. Readers, be warned.

Since I've been reading a lot these few days, I might as well write down what I get from those books. So here is a review of one book that I read during my stay in kampung over the weekend. A very famous book revolving around a very famous fictional detective and his equally famous sidekick. A very famous story indeed! :D

I think most everyone knows or has heard of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson. As a kid, I used to read abridged versions of all his famous investigations, The Sign of Four being my favourite of them all. I haven't watched the 2010 film adaptation starring Robert Downey Jr. However, I did watch an unaired pilot episode of BBC's Sherlock, which is good enough to ignite a long-forgotten passion for investigative works within me. So I got myself a cheap copy of Arthur Conan Doyle's Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes just

before New Year, and boy, I don't regret it for the slightest bit!

The styles are different throughout. There are some cases from other compilations that are narrated by Holmes himself, and some by an omniscient voice. But I enjoy the story most when it is Dr Watson that puts on the narrator's hat. After all, he was the one who started all the sensation with A Study in Scarlet. He's a normal person, just like me. We both do not study the science of deduction, and we both have average minds. So it is interesting to be finding out the wonders of Sherlock's deduction from the point of view of one who is not in the know. Plus, Watson is a funny character. He's someone I would be delighted to have conversations with over dinner.

Sherlock, on the other hand, is a bit of an enigma. Even without his incredibly unbelievable skills of finding out things about people that are not very obvious at first, the way he carries himself is also quite strange. I credit Doyle for this impressive work of character building that not only makes Sherlock intriguing, but also human. I am sure I have never encountered such human-ness before, but it feels human nonetheless. Even his patronizing "Elementary" to our much beloved Watson is a delight to read =)

The first part, the adventures, is straightforward cases presented as short stories, so they work really fine for people who like to read during commuting. Every case is a new start so it doesn't require an immense attention span. Perfect! It is the same for the second part, the memoirs. However, the Memoirs is especially famous because it marks Holmes' involvement with the notorious Professor Moriarty. The Final Problem accounts Holmes last moments before he was said to have fallen down the Raichenbach Fall clutched together with his nemesis, Moriarty. I was deeply moved by Watson's last words on his long-time friend, a sleuth that became an icon for the English speaking world and beyond.

So when I found out that Holmes did not actually die and that he made a return in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, I was not exactly sure how to react. I suppose I should be happy for the comeback but part of me still felt a bit cheated. You know, I know for a fact that it's not true but I still harbour irrational suspicion that old Arthur must have needed money real bad or something. Or maybe people just missed Holmes that much that Arthur felt it was cruel to kill Holmes off just like that. And it was cruel. We were left with no credible explanation of what happened to him in the memoirs. So yea, thank God for The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

I won't review here the longer cases like The Hound of Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear and A Study in Scarlet because I think I should revisit those novels before attempting to review them. And thanks to Feedbooks, I can finally do that without emptying my ever thinning pocket!

So to those of you who find the detective as interesting as I do, get buying paperbacks now! Or even better, visit Feedbooks for free titles here:

1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

2. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

3. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

Elementary! :D

HAMLET by William Shakespeare

Okay, so this isn't strictly a book.

It's a play, meant to be enjoyed on stage, but I personally believe there is no harm in appreciating the beauty of the written word and let your imagination do the rest of the work.

I first knew about Hamlet in MRSM Muadzam Shah. I was a socially awkward kid and socially awkward kids go to the library. It's been that way for centuries. Anyway, there was this collection of illustrated books on famous stories and I remember reading one on a very moody prince who is upset about the fact that his mum married his uncle very soon after his dad died. Or something. I can't remember. The illustration wasn't that great.

So when I was properly introduced to Shakespeare in Form 4 (doing Sonnet 18), I remembered vaguely the story of the young prince and was really disturbed that I couldn't remember what happened to Hamlet at the end of the story. So I borrowed a Penguin copy of Hamlet (abridged, of course, haha..) and read it. This time I was really moved by the poignancy of the story, partly because I could relate to his feelings. I'm not referring to the father-died-and-then-mum-married-uncle thing. It's just the general sense of frustration at everything that goes wrong in the world and being in a situation that forces you to make decisions in light of that frustration. In short, it's a story for young people who are confused. Take away all that fancy language and the Shakespeare phobia and you're left with a story as sad and beautiful as life.

The reader first finds himself , not at the funeral of Hamlet Sr, who just died of suspicious circumstances (But is appears nobody thought foul play was involved), but instead at a royal wedding. Traditionally, Hamlet Jr would be king after the death of Hamlet Sr, but OMG! He came back from boarding school to find his uncle, Claudius, had married his mum and was appointed king. Double sorrow. No, make that triple because he couldn't believe that his mum had forgotten his dad so soon and married Claudius. We're talking two months after the death. And the marriage was as big as any royal event. It is ugly.

And then, with the help of his best friend Horatio, Hamlet came across the ghost of his dead father who told him that he had been murdered by Claudius, the uncle. So now, Hamlet has to decide whether or not the ghost was telling the truth (Because ghosts can lie, you know) before deciding whether or not to avenge his father.

(L to R) Hamlet and Horation in the film

version starring Kenneth Branagh 1996

Now, my favourite part is when Hamlet is contemplating his own mortality. The famous "to be or not to be" speech is basically a soliloquy (a speech by a character not addressed to anyone) that raises Hamlet's fear of death. Death is an unknown territory because to him, nobody has ever come back from death to tell him what exactly happens after life. So he's scared of the fact that he does not know what lies after. And he's increasingly frustrated by his inability to avenge his father. On top of that, he is pained by the fact that nobody seems to remember his dead father anymore. Everyone seems to be praising and flattering the new king, and nobody is mourning apart from Hamlet himself. Dead and forgotten. The tragic fact about mortality.

So we follow Hamlet as he tries to find himself amidst the question of mortality and what it means to live. Hamlet is a good person. He believes in undying love (which is why he was hurt by his mother's change of heart), he believes in justice (he wants to avenge his father's murder), and he believes in morality, especially when it comes to trust between friends. This story is about a young man's journey to keep his moral righteousness while trying to seek justice. And the sad part is, he lost the battle. Somewhere along the line, his quest for justice became an act of revenge. And in doing that, he sacrificed more than just his own morality; he sacrificed the very thing that makes him human: Love.

But even through all that, I think Hamlet did learn something good. There is a quote near the end of the play where Hamlet stops worrying about what would happen if he died. "Let be", he said. This reliance on the higher power ("the special providence")that decides people's destiny is sometimes the only thing we need to have courage to do what we're meant to do.

There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow.

If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now;

if it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all.

Since no man, of aught he leaves, knows what is't

to leave betimes, let be.

A great story. I highly recommend this to people who take pleasure in good stories and even better language. The poetry blows me away. If you think you're not up to reading Shakespearean English just yet, don't worry. Penguin abridged versions are readily available everywhere. Perhaps in some time, you will on move on to the real thing and enjoy the beauty in its entirety. Happy reading! =)

My God, Tell Me it is NOT a battle!

Because if it is, then the hell I'm sure gonna lose!

So Ede came up with her list. I've asked her for a book, shockingly she came up with A LIST OF BOOKS. Well, not that shock, actually if you know that person named Ede. A walking, talking book-worm featured in a human form. Now, that's a compliment!

Okay, let's start off with my humble list.

My first 4 years of school histories started off at 12.00 noon. While waiting for the bus (or van), I've found books, are indeed the best companion, next to my late Opah. We used to have shelves of books near the main door, so when the van came I just put the book wherever and whenever I could make it, waved bye-bye to Opah, and surely Opah would pick it up for me and put it back to the shelves. Nice.


So this is one of my earliest book. "Menumpang Kasih Mengharap Sayang" by Salimi Salimon. Excuse my third-class photo, it was taken from a web anyway. And yes, I do read Malay literature, in case if anyone is wondering. I hate it when people go, " Whoa? Aini? Novel Melayu?". Er, Cop! I thought I'm a Malay, so what's the fuss here?

Okay, back to the topic.

Don't get me wrong. This is not just any typical "novel Melayu". Not your can-tell-the-whole-plot-of-the-story (You know, one of them hate the another, were forced to get married only to find out that he/she is made for him/her.) This is, in fact one of the best Malay novels I could remember. From family values to friendship, you are sure those two are at least among the littlest thing money can't buy in the end of the day. Revenge, or more like a sympathy, for what left are memories of what long gone and nothing much you can do but to move on.


I've been missing for the past 3-4 days. No, I was not abducted by aliens (though it'd be fun). I was in Singapore, in case if no one is reading my not-updated Twitter. When I was in Singapore, I've gotten myself a companion, entitled, " As I Was Passing" by Adibah Amin.

Reading this book has brought me back to old-times kampung memories. I've found myself lucky and unlucky at the same moment- knowing that, despite the age gap, I've experienced some of the chapters (that's the lucky part) and likewise, I'm not lucky for I missed out some of them. All thanks to the modernization of whatever they might call it.

Sneak Peek: Of Ghazal and the Golden Girlhood

Encik Daud ke Pulau Pinang,
Mencari kain tujuh warna,
Karam di laut boleh direnang,
Karam di darat papa kedana.

(p.s: thanks for that good person for paying for this book!:D)


My pick from the classic rack would be (drum roll, please). It'd be unfair to choose only one, because I like both (and many more) equally the same. There are "Little Women" by Louisa M Alcott and The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Little Women definitely reminds me of the chaotic of me and the sisters. My favorite character will be Jo, despite the boyish trait and bold nature. Her independence and empathy amazed me, enough said.


The Wizard of Oz is a masterpiece. I used to read the book and watch it on tv, and never get bored of it. I used to envy my sister for she once had played "Glinda" in one of the school's play. Okay, that was random. But what I love about the book is, like any other have-been children, despite the easily condensed storyline, is the fantasy adventurous world created by Baum. One light reading material, yet, you can always remember the vividness, the charm and the spark from one journey to another.

So if you could choose, between a heart, a brain or courage, which one will it be?



These two are basically the best from the Asian's genre. Wrote by Adeline Yen Mah, I remember pulling The Chinese Cinderella from the dusty shelf of the library. I don't know, the child in me just have to read this book, judging from the title upfront, and yes, despite the minutes were running fast towards the Final Exam in 2006.

And I cried. (Not because of my result, Alhamdulillah my result is doing okay.)

You know, at one moment, you might think that you have the worst bunch of family members. Family drama(s) here and there. It's tragic and horrid mixed at the same time, for every family sometimes hid one skeleton in the closet. But this story, my oh my, it is more like a mummy filled of maggots, rather than a skeleton.

There is no other uglier family than her family. How could one called himself a human for treating her like that? (and if you wanna know how they treated her, read this. Worth it!)


And as for the Fallen Leaves, it might be one elongated version of The Chinese Cinderella in the beginning, but towards the end, you'll know what happened and that makes you wonder how discontented and jealousy will turn one to even an uglier form of mortal.

Heart-throbbing, compelling but you better read this during the holiday/free time because I promise, you're going to be attached to it!

I'd love to proceed, but something came up. House chores, anyone?

What's next: Angels and Demons ( A pure review, because I havent watched the movie so dont fret, I wont be biased!), One More Day, or maybe the Autobiography of Kurt Cobain.. (Yes, he was awesome, i know!)

Okay la Ede, you won.

Here It is...

At first, I wanted to write a review of my all time favourite book, a plan which I would have stuck with, if not for the fact that there is no such thing as a favourite book for me. I've always sucked at choosing. So, scrap that plan. I'll come up with a list instead, a list of my all time 5 favourite fictions, and Aini will come up with her own. And then we'll have a bitchy fight about whose list is more awesome. Let the race begin!

1. The Catcher In The Rye (J D Salinger)

Teenage angst. Confusion. Anger. Apathy. Now, when you're a teenager, this is the book to read. I wouldn't say it captures what it is to be a young adult trying to discover the meaning of life and all that but the author did one hell of a job making us care about the character. Holden Caulfield may not possess any of the conventional traits most protagonists have but he still manages to endear himself to the reader despite that, and that is no small feat for any author. The fact that the reader roots for Caulfield speaks volume of Salinger's ability to inject a certain human touch into this one protagonist you end up wanting to know more about this character long after you finish reading the last chapter. A definite must for all book lovers.

2. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)

This is one of those classics that stay with me because a) the storyline is just epic and b) the characters give a powerful impact on me as a reader. I read this in my first secondary form in Muadzam Shah and the copy that I borrowed from the library was abridged and illustrated (Don't ask me why an MRSM library would have such bright and bubbly books) so it's definitely not Dicken's style of writing that attracted me to this book. But the storyline was such that I later found myself scouring through the library trying to find an unabridged version of this classic, missing recess time along the way. And when I found it, I realized it's not always easy to read because the English isn't the kind of English commonly used now. But the experience of reliving the era and the history in this novel is worth going through the Dickensian language.

3. The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald)

Another classic. This is probably the definitive work when it comes to illustrating the effects of a broken American dream. The storyline may come across as rather unrealistic and a little superficial but the reader would get the impression that it's besides the point. The main point is the poignant message behind the storyline. And what is a momentary suspension of disbelief when the writing more than makes up for that, right? This one has a distinctive style throughout, with Fitzgerald's witty and dry sense of humour lubricating the passage of a heart-wrenching tale. At the end of it, you'd be left numb, knowing that the book has just changed the way you look at life. And that is always a sign of having just read a masterpiece.

4. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)

Okay, okay, I know what Aini'll say. This only makes it on my list because I used to have a crush on Colin Firth who played Darcy, etc. But the truth is I read this novel long before I watched the BBC adaptation of it. It was in the first few months in Kuala Klawang and I picked the book up in the library at random because I had not made any new friends and I was lonely. Yea, okay, whatever. The point is, it sort of gave me some hope that this thing between men and women may work after all. The fact that this novel failed to change me from a cynic to a romantic overnight is not a fault of the book's. To be honest, if Mr Darcy can't flush cynicism out of a girl's heart, nothing else can.

5. The Red Badge of Courage (Stephen Crane)

This may not be an obvious choice for an all time favourite. The writing is adequate but not great. The storyline does not really set it apart from other American literary work depicting the Civil War, but there's something about this novel that makes it so unforgettable for me. Could it be the cowardly Henry Fleming'f search for courage after deserting his battalion? Or the gruesome painting of a battlefield so well done you wish there'd be no more war on earth? It could be both. This is a very pro-war novel. But if you dig deeper, you'll find that pacifism is really at the heart of this novel. And a powerful narration only serves to make the point hit home harder. And it did, to me, at least.

So Aini, wanna come up with yours now?