Reading
#ClassicandContemporary book challenge: August*
#ClassicandContemporary book challenge:
Lord of the Flies and The Mermaid of Black Conch
The Mermaid of Black Conch
Author: Monique Roffey
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism
Publisher: Peepal Tree Press
Year: April 2020
Rating: 
*Note from the editor: I do realise that we are now in 2025 and the “Classic and Contemporary” reading challenge finished in 2023, but it was a tumultuous year and I could not keep up with reading, writing and everything in between. While I did finish all the books I had set myself up for, I couldn’t find the time to write down my thoughts cohesively. But I don’t like leaving things unfinished, so it is only logical that I post the last few reviews from the “Classic and Contemporary” reading challenge, starting with the ones from August.
This was my August contemporary book pick for the #ClassicandContemporary book challenge. It’s a bewitching story about a mermaid, Aycayia, who goes out from the sea—her home for more than one thousand years—after being cursed by jealous wives to spend the rest of her days as this mythical sea creature. She has been captured by men and her fate is now in their hands. As she slowly remembers and gets to know what life on earth was like again, she grows fond of a family that wants to help her recover. Her hopes and desires are fulfilled, she finally gets to the shore, but can she survive the struggles of human life? Even more importantly, does she want to be human again?
It is a good book. The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey will engage you and drag you into the story immediately, as the mermaid and her story are quite enchanting. The mermaid’s character, Aycayia, was written so well! She feels very real, and although she doesn’t talk much, Aycayia has a way of communicating what’s on her mind, and it won’t leave you indifferent. Her way of expressing her thoughts is very poetic and melancholic, kind of dreamy and weary as a sailor’s. I liked all the characters, actually, I thought they all brought some colour and vividness into Aycayia’s life and into the readers’ experience, and there are some particularly strong female characters that I sympathised with.
The book has its flaws, but in comparison to how easily you go through the story, they won’t bother you so much, apart from the constant “sexing” and “in and out”. Nevertheless, I was immersed in the story and felt as if I were there, witnessing Aycayia’s capture and transformation. I liked how the legends were connected to the present, and both mythology and reality were intertwined. I definitely had to get used to the style of the book, as the language in some parts was written in a dialect, but it was nothing too complicated. If anything, it makes the book more authentic, and the writing—raw.
I always like it when a story is told from different perspectives, it adds some dynamics and gives you an alternative point of view. This book was structured in a way that all the different chapters presented a different character’s POV. There are also these short poems told by Aycayia, which bring a sense of ancient times, almost otherworldliness. I really enjoyed them, their addition definitely transported me to different times and distant places. Aycayia’s language when she tells those poems is her native dialect, the one that’s been long forgotten by the inhabitants of the Black Conch and that makes them even more special and intimate.
In The Mermaid of Black Conch you can find the themes of womanhood, feminism, loyalty, colonialism and self-discovery. So overall it’s a “yes” from me! After reading Lord of the Flies, this one almost felt like a reward. 😂
Lord of the Flies
(mini review)
Author: William Golding
Genre: Dystopian Fiction, Allegorical Fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Year: September 1954
Rating: 
The book’s major conflict is the struggle between good and evil, but isn’t it always? Jack, representing the violent dictatorship, and Ralph, symbolising the peaceful democracy. This clash between the two occupies the boys’ minds and stays at the centre of the book for the whole time. As the plot advances, their rivalry grows and intensifies until it is a struggle to the death. Ralph and Jack (and the boys who align themselves with each) represent different values and different aspects of human nature. On one hand, we have the respect for the law, duty, reason, and the protection of the weak, in the face of Ralph, whereas Jack is more about violence, cruelty, mob rule, government through fear and tyranny. The question is, which side is stronger? Are humanity’s violent and savage impulses more powerful than civilization, which is inherently fragile? And while Ralph is rescued at the last minute by a representative of civilization in the person of the naval officer, the fact that a global war is taking place underlines the idea that civilization itself is under serious threat from the forces of violence.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding wouldn’t be my first choice when it comes to re-reading a classic. If you’re looking for an uplifting, entertaining read, you better let this one stay in your TBR pile for a little longer. I found the descriptions so boring and there were too many of them. Most of the time it was difficult to distinguish between all the boys and I simply wasn’t convinced that the “bad” ones are bad and the “good” ones are good. They all made mistakes and some of them redeemed themselves, which, when you think about it, is deeply encoded into human nature. One of the main themes is the opposition of innocence and civilization versus savagery, so you can expect violence and conflicts. It is disturbing, to say the least. But hey, it’s a classic, many people read it in high school, and I was curious, so it had to form part of the #ClassicandContemporary reading challenge.
I think this quote sums it up, to an extent:
Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.
These kids, secluded in an island for who knows how long, start to lose their humanity and turn into little savages. They don’t care about following rules or what is right or wrong, and eventually they succumb to the dark side of human nature. It is a scary concept, as it makes you think: Is this what people turn into when no social rules are present? Is societal structure really so fragile that it breaks under the influence of the wrong leader? Unfortunately, nowadays we have too many real-life examples of that.
Another strong feature of the novel is bullying and how small acts of bullying behaviour can lead to brutality later. This brings the theme of a person being inherently evil to the front. It’s a central theme and one that should not be ignored if we want to understand how to be better people. How can we avoid resorting to violence and what makes someone want to be evil? Those were the types of questions that came to mind while I was reading this novel, but however important, there is no denial about that, something was just not enough to keep my interest going. Anyway, as always, I do not regret reading it, as before having an opinion about something, it is a good idea to know what it is about! 😉
On to the next read! 🚀
In case you need me… #owlbeereading!
