[Review] Narnia : Prince Caspian by C.S.Lewis

Title: Prince Caspian (The Chronicle of Narnia, #4)

Author: C.S. Lewis

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: September 1^st, 2009

Pages: 239p

ISBN13: 9780007323111

Narnia memang tidak setebal harry potter series, jadi tidak butuh waktu lama untuk menyelesaikan setiap buku yang panjangnya kurang dari 200 halaman. Selain karena halaman buku yang tipis, plot yang dibangun Lewis pun tidak lambat seperti buku klasik kebanyakan, mungkin karena tema yang diusung adalah fantasi untuk anak-anak, sehingga mudah untuk dinikmati. Saat membaca The Horse and His Boy, saya cukup terkejut menemukan ada manusia lain, selain keempat tokoh utama yang masuk ke dunia Narnia dan tinggal beberapa kota disekitarnya, namun jawaban atas pernyataan bingung itu pun terjawab setelah selesai membaca buku ini, thanks to Aslan.

Setelah masa Golden Age, Narnia diserang oleh bangsa Telmarine dan ratusan tahun lamanya Narnians hidup menderita dan bersembunyi. Cerita tentang Aslan, talking animal, pohon yang bisa berdansa, Faun, Centaurus serta Raja dan Ratu mulai berubah menjadi mitos, bahkan penguasa Telmarine melarang mitos itu diceritakan kepada anak-anak. Hutan menjadi tempat menakutkan, Cair Paravel yang dulunya indah hanya tinggal kenangan reruntuhan diatas bukit. Inilah keadaan dimana Prince Caspian ke-10 hidup di kastil Telmarine. Caspian sangat tertarik dengan Narnia di masa lalu, ia bahkan ingin hidup di masa itu dan bertemu dengan Raja dan Ratu, ia senang mendengarkan semua cerita indah tentang Narnia, namun pamannya tidak sepaham dengannya. Caspian adalah anak dari raja terakhir yang hidup dibawah perlindungan pamannya Miraz yang berlaku sebagai Lord Protector dan terus mengincar posisi Raja. Prince Caspian tetap hidup karena Miraz tidak punya keturunan, namun suatu malam keadaan berubah ketika istrinya melahirkan Putra untuknya, Miraz punya penerus dan Prince Caspian menjadi ancaman baginya. Dengan bantuan Professor-nya Prince Caspian melarikan diri ke dalam hutan, satu-satunya tempat yang ia percaya tidak berani dimasuki oleh tentara pamannya karena pohon-pohon yang terkenal kejam dengan binatang buas dan hal lainnya. Namun tak disangkanya, Ia justru bertemu dengan mahluk-mahluk yang selama ini hanya dikenalnya lewat cerita mitos. Mereka adalah Narnians yang masih bertahan hidup dalam persembunyian.  

[Review] Narnia : The Horse and His Boy by C.S.Lewis

Title: The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicle of Narnia, #3)

Author: C.S. Lewis

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: September 1^st, 2009

Pages: 239p

ISBN13: 9780007323081

The first and second book of the series told about Narnia from the very beginning of the land to the reign of White Witch and fulfillment of the prophecy where two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve came to Narnia and released the land from the power of the witch. As a reader, I have been told that Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy came to Narnia through an old wardrobe, and I thought there was only Narnia at the other side of the wardrobe, but when I opened the third book, I looked at a map and learned that Narnia wasn’t the only land in the story, there were another places called the Archenland, Mt. Pire, the Calormene and Tashbaan along with the desert and the mountain.

Thou the characters from the previous books also appeared in this story, the main character were two children and two talking horses. The story began when a boy named Shasta who live in the Calormene as a son of fisherman discovered that his father whom he believe not his biological father was about to sell him to a nobleman who came to their house. Then suddenly, when he stood alone outside the house, the nobleman’s horse, Bree, talked to him about running away north into Narnia. The beginning of the journey was pretty easy for them and they even met companion along the way, Aravis, a girl who also escape from her father with another talking horse, Hwim. Together they got into the capital city of Calormene, Tashbaan, where something happened to each of them which brought great danger not only to themselves but also to Archenland and Narnia.

[Review] Narnia : The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis

Title: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicle of Narnia, #2)

Author: C.S. Lewis

Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: September 1^st, 2009

Pages: 202p

ISBN13: 9780007323128

In summer, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, four brothers and sisters went to visit an old house belongs to a Professor, a big house with so many rooms that look creepy and mysterious. When they played hide and seek, Lucy, the youngest one, went upstairs into an empty room but a big and ages wardrobe. To hide herself, she stepped into the wardrobe and happy to touch the fur of hanging coats, she took more steps further till she felt something different, a soft and powdery and extremely cold, snow under her feet and snowflakes falling through the air. Lucy just entered Narnia and accidentally, she met a faun named Mr. Tumnus who offered her tea and cookies. Hours passed by and time for Lucy to get back, but when she was out of the wardrobe nobody know she was gone, it was like there was no time difference between the times she was gone and be back again. But when she told them about Narnia, nobody believes her. Not until one day, when they felt someone was chasing them that they were forced to hide in the same wardrobe and suddenly arrived in Narnia. Narnia was covered with endless winter. Many years had passed since the last human went to Narnia and as Aslan said at dawn of time in Narnia that the evil already in it. It was only about time that she became more powerful and did something evil on the land where animals can talk to each other. If Digory and Polly (see The Magician’s Nephew review) arrived in Narnia using magic ring, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy just found another way to the land of youth. The prophecy said that when Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done. It has long been foretold that two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve will defeat the White Witch and restore peace to Narnia. 

[Review] Narnia : The Magician's Nephew by C.S.Lewis

Title: The Magician’s Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia, #1)

Author: C.S Lewis

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: October 1^st, 2009

Page: 220p

ISBN13: 9780007323135

(Bought in a box set at Big Bad Wolf 280k IDR)

Writing review for classic book is kind of hard for me, especially children book loved by almost everyone since the first publication. The Magician’s Nephew first published in 1955 and has become one of beloved books for children. So why would I write a review after 61 years later? Then I realize I want to share my feeling and thought which hopefully will testify the relevancy of the story these days when a game named Pokémon Go just became famous.

Digory is the nephew mentioned by the title and Uncle Andrew is the magician. Digory met Polly, the girl next door, when he came to live with his Aunt Letty and Uncle Andrew while his mother was in a very sick condition. One day, among the game he and Polly was doing, they fell into a room turned out belongs to Uncle Andrew, a forbidden room for everyone. Uncle Andrew tricked them with some magic ring to go to another world. There are two rings, golden ring will send them to the other world, but green ring will bring them home. The journey soon begun, brought them to a world named Charn where Empress Jadis rule as an evil queen. When they left Charn, Jadis followed them and soon she arrived in London which brought great suffer for several people including Uncle Andrew. Digory and Polly knew, they must send the wicked witch back to her world, so they put the golden ring on, but instead of arriving in Charn, they entered into a world with no light. Only darkness surrounds the world, they barely saw each other face. Then a beautiful song started, and then light appeared, like it was summoned by the melody. As the sun rose, they could see that the world was empty, only rocks and water, and the singer himself were pacing to and fro. It was a Lion. It was like everything in the book of Genesis. I think Lewis was portrayed the story of creation.

[Review] Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Title: Murder on the Orient Express

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Harper Collins (Agatha Christie Signature Edition)

Published: June 4^th, 2007

Page: 347p

ISBN: 9780007119318

Bought at Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan 133K

Berada dalam Orient Express, Hercule Poirot sedang menuju London ketika kereta yang ditumpanginya itu berhenti ditengah malam karena tumpukan salju direl kereta. Keesokan harinya, sebuah mayat ditemukan dalam kompartemen terkunci dengan dua belas luka tusuk. Korban adalah Simon Rachett, seorang milyuner yang sehari sebelumnya sempat menghampiri Poirot dan meminta bantuan karena mengaku dirinya sedang dalam bahaya, namun Poirot menolak bekerja padanya. Atas permintaan temannya, M. Bouc, Direktur dari perusahaan yang mengatur Orient Express, yang kebetulan sedang berada di kereta yang sama, Poirot pun harus memulai penyelidikan dan mencari pembunuh Rachett diantara para penumpang. Ada 14 orang penumpang (termasuk Rachett dan Poirot) dan seorang kondektur di dalam gerbong yang sama dengan Poirot dan Rachett.

[Review] The Magic String of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom

Title: The Magic String of Frankie Presto

Author: Mitch Albom

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: November 10, 2015

Pages: 512p

ISBN: 9780062294418

Bought at periplus.com

“Everyone joins a band in this life. You are born into your first one. Your mother plays the lead. She shares the stage with your father and siblings or perhaps your father is absent, an empty stool under a spotlight. But he is still a founding member, and if he surfaces one day, you will have to make a room for him. As life goes on, you will join other bands, some through friendship, some through romance, some through neighbourhoods, school and army. Maybe you will all dress the same, or laugh at your own private vocabulary. Maybe you will flop on couches backstage, or share a boardroom table, or crowd around a gallery inside a ship. But in each band you join, you will play a distinct part, and it will affect you as much as you affect it” – p19

Musik menceritakan kisah ini. Musik memberikan dirinya kepada Frankie Presto dan melihat perkembangan dirinya lewat hidup Frankie Presto. Albom tidak pernah jauh-jauh dari kematian, seperti bukunya yang lain, Albom pun berangkat dari kematian. Frankie Presto meninggal diawal buku, lalu Albom, lewat kata-kata Musik membawa pembaca menyimak perjalanan hidup Frankie Presto, sejak ia dilahirkan sampai ia mencapai usia tua, maju dan mundur, pembaca perlu mengikuti plot yang dibangun oleh Albom. Fransisco Tarrega dan karyanya Lagrima menjadi perkenalan pertama Frankie Presto dengan musik meskipun ia belum bisa mengingat setiap melodinya. Carmencita humming Lagrima disela-sela napas terakhirnya ketika melahirkan Frankie Presto didalam tekanan Gereja yang sedang dibakar dan disaksikan oleh seorang suster yang kemudian ia percayai untuk menjaga anaknya.

[Review] "Cerita Detektif tanpa Detektif" [And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie]

Title: And then there were none

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: March 2003

Pages: 317p

ISBN:  9780007136834

Ten Little Soldier Boys went out to dine; One chocked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine Little Soldier Boys stayed up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight Little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon; One said he’d stay there and then there were seven.

Seven Little Soldier Boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six Little Soldier Boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five Little Soldier Boys going in for law;  One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four Little Soldier Boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three Little Soldier Boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two Little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one.

One Little Soldier Boy left all alone; He went and hanged himself and then there were none.

Sepuluh orang asing menerima undangan dari seorang tuan rumah yang mengklaim dirinya sebagai pemilik Soldier Island, dan mengharapkan sepuluh orang ini untuk datang dengan tujuan yang berbeda-beda. Tepat pada harinya, mereka tiba di Soldier Island, namun alih-alih menemukan tuan rumah, mereka hanya bertemu dengan dua orang pelayan yang juga tak pernah bertemu dengan tuan rumah yang sebenarnya. Soldier Island terisolasi dari kota dimana semua orang tinggal dan perlu perahu serta laut yang tenang untuk bisa bolak-balik dari pulau itu ke kota terdekat. Awalnya mereka menikmati rumah dan pulau yang terasa seperti milik sendiri, tetapi ketika malam tiba dan orang pertama mati didepan mereka, barulah mereka sadar kalau mereka tidak sedang berlibur, tetapi justru sedang berada dalam bahaya besar yang kapan saja bisa mengambil nyawa mereka. Sajak yang ada dibagian awal review ini tergantung di kamar setiap orang dan membaca sajak ini serta menyaksikan kematian demi kematian, mereka sadar kalau hidup mereka sedang dipermainkan selayaknya bunyi sajak tersebut. Namun akankah sajak itu berhasil dibunyikan dengan sempurna dalam kehidupan nyata di Soldier Island?  

[Review] The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Title: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: April 2nd 2002

Page: 368p

ISBN: 9780007141340

Cerita dengan tema pembunuhan acap kali saya hindari, sampai saya hampir tidak punya buku dengan tema pembunuhan di rak buku rumah. Tetapi ketika saya menemukan sebuah rak yang berisi buku-buku Agatha Christie dengan cover baru terbitan Harper di Kinokuniya Bangkok, sulit untuk menghindar dari rak cantik itu, kelihatannya akan sangat bagus kalau buku-buku ini pindah ke rak buku sendiri. Saya belum pernah membaca buku Agatha Christie, kalau pun pernah mungkin sudah sangat lama sampai saya tidak ingat lagi judulnya, tetapi dengan bantuan rekomendasi dari seorang teman, saya pun membawa The Murder of Roger Ackroyd dan And There Were None pulang ke Indonesia menjadi koleksi Agatha Christie yang pertama. Baru belakangan pun saya tahu kalau dua buku ini juga masuk dalam Top 10 Agatha Christie Novel versi The Guardian, what a great start I thought to start collecting them, thanks to kak Astrid for recommending it.

[Review] Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Title: Charlotte’s Web
Author: E.B. White
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: 2003
Pages: 184p
ISBN: 0-06-440055-7

Charlotte’s web was the first fable book I ever read. For some reason, I just can’t imagine how animals talk to each other, so I thought this kind of book would give me nothing to learn, and I just found myself making another mistake for judging something before even trying it. 

This story began when Fern convince her father not to kill a new born pig. For Mr. Arable, the pig looked like a runt, so it was worthless. But fern insisted to give the pig a chance to live. She said that the pig couldn’t help being born small, so it’s unfair to cut his life so early. Finally, her parents gave the pig to her and she raised him in the bottle and called him Wilbur. Every day after school, Fern played with Wilbur, took him for a walk and fed him. But when Wilbur grew big and bigger, Mr. Arable asked fern to sell Wilbur to his uncle Mr. Zuckerman. The only reason Fern was agreed is she can visit him anytime she want because the Zuckerman’s barn can be reached on foot.