Love it or hate it – how was your latest read?

The fantastic thing about the Mid Sussex Reading Challenge is that it encourages us to pick up books we might not usually read – and this means we might pick up something we love or something we’re less sure about! Today we’ve got two new book reviews – one from Rose in East Grinstead, who loved her latest read, and another from Beverly in Hurstpierpoint, who wasn’t so keen on hers!

Rose from East Grinstead read:
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
and rated it 5 out of 5.

For my April challenge I decided to read The Little Prince again. I first read it last year after finding some quotes from it I enjoyed, so I decided to reread it and would recommend it to anyone and everyone, as well as recommending the coloured illustrations, as they are beautiful!

At just under 100 pages, it really is a quick read, but the words stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. It follows the story of The Little Prince – who meets an airman that has crash landed in the Sahara Desert – in his journey to different planets. On each planet, The Little Prince learns a valuable lesson from the people, animals (and in one case, a plant) that he meets.

The messages of courage, kindness, to treasure the things you own, and to appreciate the world around you is important – no more so than at the present time.

So I’ll leave you with this quote from when The Little Prince meets the fox:

He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world.

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Beverly from Hurstpierpoint read:
Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson
and rated it 2 out of 5.

I would first like to comment on my score. Although I found the book long (be it only 233 pages) I do feel it is a book that many people may really enjoy. The book was written in the 1920s and as a result the writing feels old-fashioned.

It is set in North Devon and the book is divided between the first year of Tarka’s life and his last year. Unsurprisingly otters don’t do a lot – they are born, they reproduce, they hunt and they are hunted. The book is mainly made up of detailed descriptions of the countryside around the rivers and its other inhabitants. The last year of Takka’s life is more eventful than his first so if you decide to read this book, do persevere to the second part.

It felt like the author described every blade of grass (it’s not quite that bad) but I found myself skipping paragraphs which resulted in my losing some of the storyline. Many people will enjoy this book if they know this area of North Devon or enjoy detailed descriptive prose. Sadly I’m not one of them.

Did you enjoy your latest read? Let us know by sending in your own review, posting in our Facebook group or tweeting us @WSCCLibraries using the hashtag #MidSussexReadingChallenge. You can also chat with 300+ local readers by joining our Facebook Virtual Reading Group.

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The views expressed in this review are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of West Sussex Libraries.