Hi again! The theme of today’s post is a bit darker than the last one, we transition from a lighthearted and quirky story about friendship to a book about crime and grief. I’ll dive deeper into my other favorite book; The Whisper Man, by Alex North.

This book narrates the journey of a single father (Tom) who moves to a new town, (Featherbank) with his son (Jake) after his wife passes away. Their new home is filled with mystery and tragedy as a boy gets abducted after his mom hears whispers through the window. This ignites fear in the town as nearly twenty years before, Featherbank had been terrorized by a man dubbed the ‘whisper man’. He had taken and gruesomely murdered five little boys by luring them out of their homes through whispers. The story unravels as we discover the actual ‘Whisper Man’ has been imprisoned for decades, Jake is the killer’s new target and the lead detective on the case may be closer to the family than expected.

Although at first glance this book might be seen as simply a horrific tale, it actually dives deeper into a very important subject; loss and family. It reflects on how both Tom and Jake deal with the loss of someone they held dearly while trying to simultaneously accept that they only have each other now and coming to the realization that     -they don’t understand one another-

The grief in this book is narrated from two main perspectives; the father and the son. 

Tom is a complicated individual. He not only deals with loss, but with guilt as well. He believes he is not enough to take care of Jake on his own and even resents Rebecca for leaving him with the burden of filling in her shoes. He has a hard time understanding how to support his son. Nevertheless, all throughout the book we never doubt his love for Jake; it is evident that Jake is the most important thing in his life and all that he does is for his well-being. 

On the other hand, we have Jake’s perspective. Jake resents his father for not understanding him and blames himself for not understanding his father. This back-and-forth of complicated expressions of love between them is also aggravated by the sadness and isolation Jake feels at losing his mother. All that he wants is to be accepted as he once was.

The looming threat of the ‘Whisper Man’ or his impersonator further complicates the issues that his family is facing as they attempt to be safe and united.

This is genuinely one of the most compelling and interesting books I have read in all my life. The way it deals with the tragic killings without using violence as a shock factor, how it portrays a family going through a traumatic situation, and incorporates realistic feelings without going overboard and becoming a sob story. ‘The Whisper Man’ is a read that I recommend to anyone interested in joining the world of thrillers.

Welcome back! In today’s post I’m going to dive deeper into one of my favorite books at the moment; ‘Emma’.

Emma is a novel written by Jane Austen and published in the year 1815. It is divided into three volumes and it tells the story of Emma Woodhouse, a young woman whose trust in her matchmaking abilities lead to several misadventures. Emma is quite overconfident and believes she is never wrong, normally this kind of quality would be extremely irritating in a character but I found that Austen tells her story in such a way that you realize Emma has no ill intentions and her matches are made out of genuine concern and affection; she recognizes how privileged she is to not have to marry and wants her friends to achieve happiness in their own station.

My favorite character in this book was actually Emma’s father; Henry Woodhouse; he is extremely eccentric and provides a unique kind of comedy throughout the novel with his complaints about slight breezes and wedding cake. Weirdly enough, I believe he is a revolutionary character. During the time period, ‘Emma’ is set in, it was uncommon for women to not marry and it would normally be their own father who arranged matches for them but here, Mr. Woodhouse has no intention of marrying Emma off and regards her as an important member in the family and society -he respects her- and believes she is free to make her own choices.

Moreover, I believe that this book showcases the theme of friendship wonderfully. I will center on the main friendship that the book explores; Emma Woodhouse and Harriet Smith. Mrs. Smith is a young girl who resides in the boarding school of the town, her parentage is unknown except for the fact she is a lord’s daughter. Emma initially takes Harriet under her wing as a ‘project’ to prove just how proficient she is at match-making. As the story progresses the reader appreciates the connection that they develop up to the point that Emma does not believe anyone is good enough for her friend. Their social difference does not deter them from seeing each other as equals and recognizing the qualities they each possess.

There have been many adaptations of this literary work but my favorites are ‘Clueless’ (1995) and ‘Emma’ (2020). The first one is a movie that adapts the story into a modern setting, it follows a teenage drama/coming of age story with characters and storylines inspired by the novel in a satirical style. For example, the main character is named Cher (Played by Alicia Silverstone) and she tries to help the new girl in school, Tai (Played by Brittany Murphy), fit in and date a popular boy. The original story translates surprisingly well and the result is a fun comedy worth watching.

On the other hand, ‘Emma’ (2020) is an adaptation that stays true to the book. It relates Emma’s story with literary and historical accuracy. This film’s cinematography is one of the best I have seen to date. This movie does not significantly change the original story or dialogues but it does translate it to film in a way that feels dynamic and witty. The main character is played by Anya Taylor-Joy and her performance really depicts Emma as the book portrays her; she is overconfident and stubborn but her only goal is to ensure her friend’s happy ending.

This book explores friendship, love, and family through the lens of a young girl still discovering herself and her flaws. It is a beautiful story told flawlessly.