The Fatal Allure of Fantasy: Madam Bovary

I've devoured this novel at least three times, the most recent being just a few months back, yet I find myself compelled to dive into its pages once more. There's something about it that clings like a cheap raincoat, gnawing at me insistently, making it impossible to resist another read. Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary stands …

The Sorrows of Satan: A Fiendishly Fun Foray into Faustian Folly

Apologies for the glaringly obvious alliteration in the title of this post; I couldn't resist. Marie Corelli’s The Sorrows of Satan is a literary paradox: a work so earnestly didactic that it wraps around to become almost devilishly entertaining. First published in 1895, this novel treads the murky waters of morality with the finesse of …

Germinal

Émile Zola’s Germinal, published in 1885, is a hefty tome that plunges readers into the sooty, grimy world of French coal miners in the 19th century. With its bleak depictions of class struggle, social injustice, and the human spirit’s tenacity, it’s hardly the kind of book you’d expect to read at a comedy club. Yet, …

‘Tis Better To Have Loved…

I've delved into the works of Tennyson, and each time, I'm reminded of that weary adage people parrot without recognising its origin. It's worth noting that Tennyson penned the lines I refer to below in the throes of his own grief, and I can certainly respect the depth of emotion behind them. However, there is …

The Fiscal Feudalism in Balzac’s Eugénie Grandet

We all need money, yes? Some more than others, and there's no shortage of greedy people who hoard wealth like a squirrel hoards nuts. Well, I read this novel a few years ago and I thought it was time to read it again and scratch out my thoughts - when I can wriggle out from …

Mills & Boon: Clichés, Tropes, and Cringe

Given my well-known penchant for classic literature, it was only a matter of time before someone challenged my reading habits, urging me to delve into something more contemporary and 'everyday'. One fateful afternoon, amid the humdrum of office life, I found myself the subject of playful ridicule. My colleagues, ever eager to see me squirm, …

Sleep Brings No Joy…

For countless years, sleep has been an unrelenting adversary in my life. Each night, I find myself locked in a relentless battle against the elusive embrace of Morpheus. When sleep does finally claim me, it is rarely a sanctuary. Instead, it becomes a stage for dark and tormenting dreams, sinister and vivid, that unravel my …

Jamaica Inn: A Beacon of Melodramatic Brilliance

In the pantheon of English literature, Daphne du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn stands as a paragon of high melodrama and gothic allure—a true exemplar for those who revel in tales of dreariness, sinister plots, and heroines with an uncanny knack for finding trouble. The novel, first published in 1936, is set in the forbidding moors of …

The Collector

A Tale of Misery, Mediocrity, and Meaningless John Fowles' debut novel, The Collector, has been lauded by some as a brilliant exploration of obsession and power dynamics. However, one must ask if these admirers have ever experienced anything more intellectually stimulating than a soggy slice of toast. The novel, masquerading as a psychological thriller, is …

The Withered Arm

I love Thomas Hardy's work, even though when he writes some of his characters' dialogue in the vernacular, it's enough to make you dig your fingernails into your palms! Thomas Hardy, that wizard of Wessex, had a knack for creating vivid and often haunting stories steeped in the bleak beauty of rural England. In The …

C. S. Lewis – The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters is a satirical masterpiece that offers a profound yet humorous exploration of human nature, morality, and the subtle workings of temptation. Through the correspondence between Screwtape, a senior demon, and his nephew Wormwood, an inexperienced tempter, Lewis crafts a narrative that is as enlightening as it is entertaining. Let's delve …

Steppenwolf: then one thing led to another.

A long time ago I met a young lady who became, for a short time, a good friend. I liked her. For me, liking someone was a rare occurrence. To cut a long story short, my friend, Bob, called so as I couldn't pronounce her Greek name, gifted me a book. A book I'd already …

Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman stands as a colossal testament to the fragility of the American Dream, the perils of self-delusion, and the enduring complexity of human relationships. Like a masterful chef, Miller concocts a heady stew of pathos and tragedy. So, grab your briefcase and your existential dread, as we delve into this …

Mr. Chips: A Toast to the Unsung Hero

Published in 1934, James Hilton’s Goodbye, Mr. Chips is the charming tale of a schoolteacher whose life at Brookfield, an English boys' boarding school, is as rich as an afternoon tea and as enduring as the late Queen’s corgis. The novella takes us through the ups and downs of Mr. Chipping - known affectionately as …

Doctor Faustus

Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is a classic of the Elizabethan era, packed with enough theological musings, existential angst, and demonic shenanigans to keep audiences entertained for over four centuries. Let's take a deep dive into this magnum opus, and lighten the heavy dose of hellfire and brimstone. The Plot: A Scholar's Tragicomedy At its core, …

The Quirky Charms and Ridiculous Romances of Pride and Prejudice

When it comes to the realm of classic literature, few books manage to be both incisive social commentaries and delightfully absurd as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This masterpiece, published in 1813, is the literary equivalent of a sharp eyebrow raise accompanied by a knowing smirk. Let's delve into the bizarre brilliance of this novel, where …

Wuthering Heights: where love means never having to say you’re sane.

It feels like an eternity since I last delved into the pages of this captivating novel - perhaps around four months ago, though time seems to dance with memory. Yet, as the seasons turn, it beckons me once more, whispering secrets and stories I've missed. And so, with eager anticipation, I immerse myself anew in …

The Miller’s Tale

When I need a quick cheer-up, I reach for a more humorous book from my library, something along the lines of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, especially The Miller's Tale; makes my ribs ache! The Miller's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer, one of the more... let's say, exuberant stories in The Canterbury Tales. Here, Chaucer gives us a …

Decay

I've had this book for a short while now and finally got around to reading it. It's not what I'd call a page-turner. Far from it.  "A Short History of Decay" by E. M. Cioran is like a philosophical rollercoaster through the haunted house of human existence. Picture this: a series of bite-sized wisdom snacks, …

Daffodil

I sit beneath a Sycamore tree, eating sandwiches, and drinking tea. Wordsworth's I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud encapsulates the whimsical journey of a solitary stroller who stumbles upon a field of daffodils, turning loneliness into lyrical wonder. But let's face it, if clouds wandered around, they'd likely have more on their minds than daffodils. …