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Let's just say that this book is certainly one open to a lot of controversy and debate, yet that is what makes it such an interesting read. I find it an exciting and compelling read, with a gallon of brutal reality poured in along with some humour, contrasting with moments of depression. Despite being written in 1951, I think many teenagers would be able to relate to the various themes present in the book. It is a modern classic of the coming of age genre. I find the main character, 17-year-old Holden Caulfield, absolutely intriguing and as I read the book, it was fascinating to get inside the head of the strange, rebellious protagonist. The book begins with Holden directly addressing you, the reader, and he begins to retell the events over a three day period from last December. His story starts at Pencey Prep, a prestigious boarding school filled with "phonies", as Holden likes to call them. What strikes me the most is the way Salinger creates the a brash atmosphere...

MY REVIEW  The story of  The Metamorphosis  is much more than a somewhat dark, disturbing tale of a man who turns into a pitiful bug. It is a symbolic tale of a young man, the breadwinner of his family, who is unexpectedly afflicted by a disease (his turning into a bug), the subsequent reactions of his family (grief, resignation, endurance, repugnance and then explicit detestation) and his eventual death which brings a sense of ‘tranquility’ to Gregor’s family. It is a tale of an individual afflicted by a disease that he has no control over and neither does he have any idea of how it has and will continue to influence his and his family’s lives. At first reading, it might seem that Gregor Samsa and his metamorphosis is probably a metaphor for an illness like cancer but actually, when you take into account the family’s aversion to his condition and the change in his appearance, it seems that Kafka has actually used it as a metaphor for illnesses such as AIDS. However...

MY REVIEW One day, in October 1949, Helene Hanff, a young unknown writer, sends a letter from New York to Marks & Co., the bookstore located at 84 Charing Cross Road in London. Passionate, maniacal, extravagant and many times without a hard, Miss Hanff claims bookseller Frank Doel little less than unenforceable volumes that will quench her insatiable thirst for discoveries. Twenty years later, they continue to write, and familiarity has become an almost loving intimacy. This eccentric and charming correspondence is a little jewel that evokes, with infinite delicacy, the place occupied by books in our lives ... and bookstores In case you are interested, here is a link of a popular bookshop where you can find it:  https://www.casadellibro.com