Vigilant Corpse > Recent Status Updates

I never knew John Green could come up with such nuanced, emotional and intricate pieces of vignettes. So so different and for me, better, than his other YA popular boos. Such an important and warm yet critical collection.

I think of this book everyday but it's been a month since I picked it up. This is such an amazing book and I don't why I was pushing it. Every chapter demands critical understanding of humanity and feeling the depth and rawness of emotions, fragility, strength and intricacy. Marvelous piece. Every chapter I've read so far is filled with my notes and marked quotes. Aso personally, this book hits too close to home.

"It can sometimes feel like loving the beauty that surrounds us is somehow disrespectful to the many horrors that also surround us. But mostly, I think I’m just scared that if I show the world my belly, it will devour me. And so I wear the armor of cynicism, and hide behind the great walls of irony, and only glimpse beauty with my back turned to it, through the Claude glass."

Loving this so much. So insightful, nuanced and warm.

Really curious to see where this book goes. It just keeps getting better and increasingly disturbing.

Throughout the essays Greene effectively displays how us humans have shaped the world and our own very imaginations via artificiality. Because, that's what thrills us rather than delving in actuality. How our assumptions, ideas and the portrayal of media regarding things can dilute with the actuality and authenticity of them. Through the lens of media and such, humans tend to make their imaginations the 'reality'.

Really liking how John Greene speaks about the little details of life, little subtle moments that we often brush past but they had done many things for us, in shaping us for who we are and providing us sanctuary and/or places of terror. How through everything, he critiques and comments on the beauties and brutalities of mankind and humanity. At times adding historical lens or simply by expressing his own experiences.

This is a 5 star read. Never expected Tampa to be this good. So complex and layered in nuance as we progress, my God, never read anything like this before and seriously awestruck.

Seriously in awe and admiration, can't wait to see where this book leads to. It's just getting better and better.

Just loving this so much. And I didn't realize the author was Osamu Dazai's daughter, what a sudden surprise.

Just read the first chapter and I am already in love, this is what you call true literature, not pathetic wannabe's like Almod ffs.

This book is becoming a joke and I'm having none of it. I rest my case, the more I will talk about this, the more pissed I will get and the more my mood will worsen.

wtf am I reading. THIS IS GETTING ON MY NERVES. MAKE IT FUCKING MAKE SENSE. HELLO?? First of all, the story contradicts the main theme of the novel and tries so hard to be a magical make belief crap. Okay, I have adjusted myself with that BUT, the story is wild with what's happening. I HATE THESE CHARACTERS OMG. I don't want to continue, so cheeky and unrealistic. I'm fuming, so shallow and vague in its core wtf.

wtf am I reading. THIS IS GETTING ON MY NERVES. MAKE IT FUCKING MAKE SENSE. HELLO?? First of all, the story contradicts the main theme of the novel and tries so hard to be a magical make belief crap. Okay, I have adjusted myself with that BUT, the story is wild with what's happening. I HATE THESE CHARACTERS OMG. I don't want to continue, so cheeky and unrealistic. I'm fuming, so shallow and vague in its core wtf.

Uhm, this is actually being very contradictory to the core theme of the book. The author made a big fuss about our mc having a disease in which he feels no emotions, but we can see this trip throughout the novel as events occur. Why did she assign him with this disease then? Wth? Istg if it's about "finding real connections and growing emotions with others and finding ppl you care for" shit, I'm done.

I am like reading so many books at once lol. Wanted some fun so picked this up, and, I presumed it to be another 'junk' piece that keeps me entertained and jazzed without any critical nuance or need for analysis, but the writing is actually really good and already raised some points on serious topics, a complex depth is displayed just in the first chap, have hopes for it honestly after reading the first chap.

This is just wow, never read anything like this but am loving it. The prose is rich, the feelings are raw and the portrayal of obsession and lust is so masterfully encapsulated.

So far in the book, we can see how such distinct yet intense sexual desires and severe cravings/hunger for lust affect a persons mental stability and sense of decency and morality. Lust, so striking, that it blurs your sense of judgement.

11 pages took me hours, this book is so rich so nuanced and complex, but speaks right through your soul and shows you the complexities of the human condition. 11 pages in and I think I need a separate notebook to take notes as I'm running out of space in the book, haha. But i can say, this will for sure be a 5 star, maybe the best book of 2025 I read, who knows?

Part 5 of my update, final part:

This societal system affects everything in our lives, and this is just one example of how this portrayal of inhumanity ultimately turns out to be detrimental for the overall public. Really loving the book so far.

Thought I would have to extend the update to 3 parts, welp, 5 parts. I always have so much to say, I hate Goodreads with a burning passion for this atrocity hmph!

Part 4 of my update:

How this, this cruelty from one child to another is displayed in such a raw, genuine and real manner that it made me question, question my own standard of living. Because this is the truth, the inevitable bitter reality that one chooses to conceal and ignore, the impact of this cruel and cursed societal world has gone to many degrees and angles.

I'd have to update again, bro stop T-T

Part 3 of my update:

But, the poor one has empathy, this humanity and compassion, has a heart and rich with feelings and emotions, the rich? The rich has money, no compassion, no sense of empathy, emotion or consideration. The rich was raised in this manner and was taught to look down on the poor and consider them not humans, and as lowly creatures.

I'd have to update in more parts tf T-T

Part 2 of my update:

Dickens shows bitterly how the rich looks down upon the poor and the society made this very thing normal and and even allowing the rich to take somewhat of pride. Both are kids, both are children, one is raised harshly on poor financial stability and ill conditions, other is spoiled rotten from the core, given everything and raised like another royal member........(I hate goodreads fr)

I'm updating in 3 parts, part 1:

I only read 6 pages since the last update, but these 6 pages were so striking and so critical and provoking. Class dynamics and powers, injustice and the societal standards, all were expressed vividly, the cruelty of this world was portrayed through the tears of an innocent child who never had to think twice of how to dress up or approach, how to act or speak, the brutality of it all

The cast of characters are huge, but Dickens chooses to foster and build them with richness, depths and complexity, making them real like us, bending fiction into reality. We can see the mentality and perspective of each and every individual through the lens of mid 1800s Victorian England and how prejudice, oppression and injustice can take even the most incorrupt form, yet persisting and trailing through lives.

Really loving the commentary on unfair and prejudiced societal systems and the struggles of man from a point of madness, we are truly privileged to not understand or face the torment of true hunger and starvation, a pain that will collapse the most eloquent and civilized of man. This novel portrays humanity and struggles of misfortune in a masterful manner whilst critiquing the human society with striking rawness.

I didn't expect that I'd genuinely enjoy my time with this book, Dickens's humor is excellent and at points I felt myself forming a laugh and smiling in a silly manner. He is an excellent storyteller and I felt engaged and thrilled to continue my way through. Also I love his exploration on the vulnerability, innocence and naivety of a child and how one's psyche works based on the given circumstance. Truly enjoyable!

Starting my 2025 with Great Expectations, because I have "great expectations" for 2025 and high hopes. Let this year be my turning point and the rise after hitting the lowest point of my life. Cheers to everyone! Happy New Year 2025! Ohh, and I also have "great expectations" for Great Expectations, my first ever Dickens. This must not disappoint, that would be diabolical (hehe),

This is the part 2 of my update. All the essays I read here so far emphasizes on the central idea of humans and how everything around is controlled and maintained by humans, how human emotions, cruelty and actions effect our day to day lives, but in all that, there is a striking lingering sensation of hope that displays humanity and compassion for the mankind. Very well written and thoughtful, indeed.