Skip to main content

House at the end of Hope street





A Hope street. A house at the end of it. Unseen by many, seen and visited by a handful of very special people.
To be more specific, famous writers, painters, doctors, social activists from the 19th century onwards. What is so special about it? You would wonder.

All of the boarders of the House at the end of the Hope street were women. Women who were struggling through a desperate period of time in their lives. This is the House which provided them with Hope! A space which provided them with ample  time to listen to their own hearts. A place where they formed new friendships with each other.

The book "House at the end of Hope street" is a whimsical novel that addresses hope, feminine strength and wisdom written by the 21st century novelist Menna Van Praag. I read the book recently and was fascinated by the storyline and the beauty of the language used, after reading the first few chapters. The story is about Alba, a young university undergraduate who is going through many difficulties in her academic career. She encounters the House at the end of hope street almost accidentally while wandering along the streets of Cambridge. Peggy, the kind, old house keeper invites her to stay at the house at the end of Hope street and Alba is given ninety nine nights to find answers to her problems in life. In other words, to find out her own self, her dreams and to fulfill them.

I really enjoyed reading it and could draw parallels between the characters and their experiences with what we learnt under Feminist literary theory last year. So, if you are looking forward to unveil all the marvels the book contains I assure you that you are in for a lovely treat!

~Parami Ranasinghe














Comments

  1. sevenamusedbloggersMarch 4, 2021 at 3:41 AM

    This reminded me of the Room Of Requirement (which I still believe is a fabulous room) in Harry Potter which only appears to people in great need of something or the other. This is my first time hearing about this particular novel and I am very curious to know what the plot of it is since you made sure not to reveal any spoilers so i can only assume what it may be about! I'm sure it's a very relatable novel because who wouldn't love to have a space that is devoted to addressing your problems! I would love to give this novel a try sometime in the future!

    -Nipuni

    ReplyDelete
  2. SashaMarch 26, 2021 at 1:46 AM

    Seems like a very relatable and exciting novel Parami! Will definitely check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nuzla NiyasApril 1, 2021 at 9:27 AM

    Thank you for this post on the novel! I will absolutely read this first thing when I leave university, in peace and quiet without deadlines to face! I love the way you've described it, and it reminds me of the days when I'd read a lot of stories and novels with female leads, fairytales and the like, learning and discovering a lot through their journeys and struggles, hopes and dreams. Waiting to get back to the days of pleasure-reading!

    Nuzla Niyas

    ReplyDelete
  4. TherushieApril 3, 2021 at 1:57 AM

    Sounds lovely, Parami! Being undergrads ourselves, I think we could all use a house at the end of hope street right about now haha :P

    ReplyDelete
  5. SanduniApril 3, 2021 at 3:43 AM

    Thank you for this recommendation Parami! It's been a while since I've read a book. (Couldn't eally get myself to pick up another novel after reading TONS of books for uni :3 ) I'm really looking forward to check it out!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introducing Mukbang!

The internet is the birthplace of many bizarre challenges and trends. For the past decade, people went crazy over various absurd trends like ‘Naked Butts In Front Of Pretty Scenery’ photography, people showing off their colored armpits and glittery beards, the ghoulish Kylie Jenner lip challenge and the freezing ice bucket challenge. These trends I’ve mentioned are equivalent to just a drop of water in a sea of hundreds of trends which went viral in the internet. Introducing Mukbang! Yet another seemingly unrealistic trend brought to life by The Internet. And has now become a full-blown viral sensation. What is Mukbang ? 👀 The word Mukbang is a blend of two Korean words: “mukja,” or “let’s eat”; and “bang song,” meaning "broadcast”. It is an internet trend that originated from South Korea where it spread amongst the masses. In this, hosts record themselves eating massive, calorie-rich   spreads, large enough to feed a family in one sitting. However the interesting thing abou...
5 comments
Read more

The Queen who Challenged the Symbolic Order of Ancient Egypt

Limestone statue of Hatshepsut as Pharaoh The Nile flows even today through the plains of Africa as she did thousands of years ago through the valley of the kings where a great woman once challenged the patrilineal throne. She is known as the first great woman in history of whom we are informed, a great Pharaoh who ruled Egypt during a time of great prosperity whose legacy could not be erased despite the attempts taken by one of her successors to eradicate her from history. Hatshepsut, meaning "the foremost of the noble women", was born into the 18th  Dynasty of ancient Egypt’s new kingdom. She was the daughter of the great Thutmose the first and his primary wife Ahmose. Being of legitimate birth, had she not been a woman, she would have been next in line to the throne. However, after her father's death, young Hatshepsut was married to Thutmose the second, her half brother, in order to legitimate the throne and preserve the purity of the royal blood line. Thutmose the s...
6 comments
Read more

My entry into Manga, Anime and CGI, an awesome digital reality!

The farthest that I can travel back into   my past to find the roots of where it all started is when I was in the first grade during the period I’d been abroad, when I’d been totally addicted to cartoons, being the only child then with nothing much to do.   I guess I’d always been drawn to cartoons because of how much I love to draw, read and write. The first shows I’d ever watched were DICE, Pluster World, Tsubasa Chronicles, Virtua Fighter, YuGiOh!, Martin Mystery, Totally Spies, Code-Lyoko, Galactic Football, Scobby-Doo, Tom and Jerry, and   Ben 10.   I remember being enthralled watching these and I believe I’m not ashamed   to say that I’d learnt a few things from these shows, and growing up, they were an influence on my worldview, self-perception, my sense of humour and attitudes. Only when I’d began using a computer and the Internet around third grade that I found out that some these were not cartoons, but anime. For most, the difference seems negligible...
4 comments
Read more