Dark Place & Where Are You Now

Can’t believe I nearly forgot to post my 9^th post. I have been too involved in the world of novels. 

I read two suspense novels this week, Dark Place and Where Are You Now. Interestingly, the main characters of both novels are girls who were going all out to dig out the past. They were both trying to help their brothers. (One brother was in jail, while the other was missing.)

The author of Dark Place also wrote Gone Girl. After Gone Girl became a major hit in theatres, Dark Place was also adapted into a movie. However, it hasn’t enjoyed the same amount of popularity. I haven’t seen the movie, but judging from the book, Dark Place is indeed less appealing. Although the author makes readers wait until the very end of the book to find out the truth, the ending is not at all surprising. Where Are You Now is also not quite enjoyable for the same reason. It is fairly easy to guess who the murderer is. And as soon as you figure out the murderer, you get the entire picture, which makes the rest of the book boring. 

Therefore, when it comes to suspense novel, I’d still recommend Gone Girl is the best I’ve ever read. Although readers are told who the murderer is almost in the very beginning, various twists and turns successfully prolong the sense of suspension until the very end.

Gillian Flynn Interview 2014
 'Gone Girl' Author Reveals Secrets Behind Her Hit Thriller

Eat, Pray, Love

The book that I want to introduce to you today is Eat, Pray, Love. It is a memoir published in 2006. The narrator, Elizabeth Gilbert, divorced with her husband and started traveling to different countries. She put her experience into words and touched millions of people worldwide. The book remained on the top of the bestselling list for 187 weeks.

Elizabeth enjoyed various food in Italy, then learned to meditate in India. She eventually started a relationship with a businessman in Indonesia, which was her last stop. Although it’s been six years since I read the book, I still remember the great joy of reading it. I felt like I was going on the journey with Elizabeth all the way from America to the other three countries. I not only got to know more about the countries from her book, but also got inspired by the life lessons she learned on her way.

Here are some quotes that I’ve found inspiring.

“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.”

“To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life.”

“You are, after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.”

I would also like to share with you an inspiring speech that Elizabeth Gilbert gave. It’s only 19 minutes long and Chinese/English subtitles are available. 

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius

http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius/transcript?language=en#t-980492

One Day

This week, I’d like to introduce to you a love story, One Day.

The story centers on a pair of friends. The boy was a handsome real charmer while the girl was humble and hardly noticed by others. They met each other on the graduation prom and had a one-night stand. Nothing happened afterwards since the boy, Derek, was simply not ready to settle down. The friendship remained for years, though. They met annually and called each other whenever they felt down. When the relationship was about to turn into a love affair, an accident happened and tore them apart.

Some people think that it is a tragic story. However, I think there is also a bright side. Although the two characters have never really been “together”, they have gained a relationship that is more than love, which can be more valuable some times.

The novel was adapted into a movie in 2010 and became a major hit. I think it was well-adapted and really enjoyed both the book and the movie.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today."

Little Prince

This week, I’m introducing a book that everyone has heard of, if not read from cover to cover. Little Prince is a classic French novel, which has just been adapted into a movie.

I choose the book this week because a freshman asked me the other day, “What is the most important thing we should achieve in the four years in college?” The question occurred to me when I stumbled on Little Prince at a bookstore.

In chapter 22, Little Prince encountered a train that rapidly flew past. The driver told him that most passengers on the train were sleeping or dozing off, while kids were looking out the windows. “Only the children know what they are looking for. They waste their time over a rag doll and it becomes very important to them; and if anybody takes it away from them, they cry…” was what Little Prince commented.

The train reminds me of my college life. NTU is such a vibrant environment that students who study here often get lost. We seem to be doing lots of things every day at a rapid speed and yet we don’t have enough time to think about WHY we are doing them. Therefore, my answer to the question is, “Figure out what you are looking for.” Instead of turning into an ignorant adult, try keeping a young mindset! 

If you have time, go see the movie after midterm!