READING UPDATE AND A GIRLY VINTAGE SUMMER OUTFIT

Don't you just love reading in summer time? It's time for another reading update. The location of this post is once again bay Torac, island Hvar. I love the colours of island Hvar, I can never get tired of them. This sea view is a gorgeous one. I've recently blogged about my island Hvar island experience (here, here, here) so check it out if you want to see more. My outfit is an example of an easy and simple summer styling. The only thing new about it is the necklace. I made the necklace myself while I was on Hvar, from left over materials. My mother bought a fringed curtain that was too long so we cut the ends and I made several necklaces from the left over materials. As you can imagine, I felt really good about myself for being able to think of a sustainable thing to do with the fringed material so quickly. It only took me a few hours to make several necklaces and I already gifted some of them away. Sometimes it pays off to have a creative mind. The pink crochet top and the mini skirt are both vintage. This was a cute vacay outfit and as there isn't that much left to say about it, I'll get onto book reviewing. I didn't read all of these books while I was on the island, this is just a general reading update. I read a few more books in the last few days but I'll include them in another reading update, mostly classics as usual. What are you reading at the moment? Feel free to share it with me. 

GRAY NECKLACE: DIY, PINK CROCHET TOP: VINTAGE, PRINTED SKIRT: VINTAGE, PRINTED SANDALS: ART

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, A SHORT STORY BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD 4/5

I listened to an Italian audio version of this book. I didn't planned to read it in Italian, but as I was searching for audio books in Italian, this one came up and I thought: why not? I'm no stranger to this writer after all and so far I have always enjoyed his eloquent writing style. Previously I have read The Great Gatsby, Tender is the Night and Diamond As Big As the Ritz (a collection of short stories) by Fitzgerald. He is one of my favourite North American writers for sure. What about this short story? Well, it's very different from the other Fitzgerald's stories I read, mainly because of its fantastical element. It is also quite different from the movie version, that's for sure. In fact, the only thing that the movie has in common with this work is the concept of reverse aging. Not that I mind terribly, I'm not a traditionalist. When it comes to movie adaptations, sometimes I don't care for them and sometimes I do. I didn't hate the movie, but I wasn't blown away by it either. Maybe because I think Brad Pitt is an overrated actor? Anyhow, the film didn't entertain me much. This short story, however, was a pleasure to read. As a classic, it endured the test of time. It's  chief theme of reverse aging is a fascinating one. Perhaps the modern preoccupation with aging makes this work more relevant than ever. This story really made me think and on overall it was a fantastic read. 

 IN COLD BLOOD, A NON FICTION NOVEL BY TRUMAN CAPOTE 3/5
I'm sure you all heard about this one, especially the American readers. This non fiction crime novel is quite famous. I started it years ago, but failed to finish it because of lack of time. This time I saw it it, through. I would describe it as quite a depressive read, but nevertheless an interesting one. It is well written and meticulously researched.  I read it in a Croatian translation, in a very classical edition that was filled with lots of information about the author and the book itself. I struggled a bit with reading this one, mostly because I was horrified with the cold blooded murder it describes. This book retells a known tragic story ( a cruel murder of an entire family), so its plot is know ahead. The book builds tension not by the sequence of events but with psychological portrait of its character and with withholding the gross details until the end. Curiously, it reminded me a lot of On the Road by Jack Kerouac, mostly the writing style. I'm giving it three stars mostly because I admire the author's desire to get at the bottom of things and the amount of research he did. I do feel a bit conflicted about this book. It's so depressive I'm not sure I can recommend it but that's not the only reason why I feel a bit torn. What can an average person learn from reading about serial killers? Why are people so fascinated by them? Can we really learn anything by reading about murders? At the end of the novel, Capote questions the death sentence and in doing so he seems to sympathize with the murderers. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about that. It is a valid question to ask as in the past, there were probably quite a few people sentenced to death who were in fact mentally ill. Often people in prison don't get a psychological evaluation they should. Maybe those two didn't get a fair trail. Maybe death sentence is too easily administered to people who might be mentally ill? However, at the same time, these two individuals (the murders) seemed to selfish and terrible that it felt wrong  to sympathize with them. It was not an easy book to read. I like crime novels, but I find reading about real murders to be chilling. As for Truman's writing skills, I wouldn't say he is a great writer, I would even say he might be a bit overrated, but there is no doubt that he can write.  Truman Capote is definitely a good writer and in a book like this one it makes all the difference. To conclude, this is an interesting book, one that I'm glad I read but I can't say that I enjoyed reading it.

A LIVING CHATTEL, A STORY BY ANTON CHEKHOV 5/5

Another love triangle explored by Anton Chekhov. What an incredible story it is! I listened to an audio version of this book in Russian. I enjoyed it immensely. Like most Chekhov stories, it is a story about love. It feels like a very mature work, well thought thought and executed. The plot is both realistic and full of surprises and the writing is simply superb. The characters are masterfully portrayed and the story is dynamic, credible and touching. The story opens with a love triangle. There is a husband who treats his wife as a child, forgiving her infatuations she had in the past. There is a feeling he really loves her, but the way he treats her seems very patriarchal. The wife is in love with another man who loves her dearly. The husband learns of affair, and the lover who wants the woman for himself, feeling guilty, hands out money to the husband. The woman leaves with his lover but the story doesn't end there, as the wife is destined to meet her, now ex-husband, again.

THE WIFE, A STORY BY ANTON CHEKHOV 5/5

The Wife is another story in which Chekhov masterfully questions the married life. Pavel, a rich aristocrat, lives with a wife he no longer loves, but refuses to let go of. He is aware that she doesn't love him either, and that the only reason why she is still married to him is because she is completely reliant on his financial support, yet Pavel doesn't want to free his wife. The story is dynamic despite the fact that not much happens, it is a psychological story one could say, most of the battles happens inside of character's heads. Both characters are very interesting. Pavel's wife is interested in humanitarian work, she is trying to find a way out of her unhappiness by making others happy but she is not always free to do as she wishes. The husband has problems communicating effectively with his wife, and their marriage grows colder and colder. In this story, we can see a lot of common themes that we encounter in Chekhov works. Nevertheless, it is a story that feels fresh and unique. I would definitely recommend it to fans of Chekhov and classical literature.

As always thank you for visiting and stopping by. Let me know what you think about this styling. Do you like this necklace? Do you ever do DIY projects yourself? Are you into vintage or sustainable fashion? Have you been reading anything good lately? Do you enjoy reading in summer time?