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 … Continue reading The Fatal Allure of Fantasy: Madam Bovary
Tag: books
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 … Continue reading The Sorrows of Satan: A Fiendishly Fun Foray into Faustian Folly
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, … Continue reading Germinal
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, … Continue reading Mills & Boon: Clichés, Tropes, and Cringe
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 … Continue reading Jamaica Inn: A Beacon of Melodramatic Brilliance
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 … Continue reading The Collector
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 … Continue reading The Withered Arm
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 … Continue reading C. S. Lewis – The Screwtape Letters
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 … Continue reading Death of a Salesman
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 … Continue reading The Quirky Charms and Ridiculous Romances of Pride and Prejudice
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 … Continue reading Wuthering Heights: where love means never having to say you’re sane.
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 … Continue reading The Miller’s Tale
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, … Continue reading Decay
Don’t Whistle!
A very short but entertaining read; leaves one feeling a little sombre. Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad is one of M. R. James' most renowned ghost stories, included in his collection "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary," published in 1904. The title is derived from a poem by Robert Burns, suggesting a … Continue reading Don’t Whistle!
Marlowe’s Plea
A poem today; a short bio, a breakdown of the poem, then the poem itself. Christopher Marlowe was a renowned Elizabethan playwright, poet, and translator, born in Canterbury, England, in 1564. He was the son of a shoemaker and received a scholarship to attend the King's School in Canterbury. Marlowe later attended Corpus Christi College, … Continue reading Marlowe’s Plea
Why Silas Marner?
There are times when, especially on my Kindle, I can be reading four or five novels at once; flitting backward and forward as the mood takes me. For a couple of weeks now, I've had this one single novel in my head. I don't know why? It's possibly around two or so years since I … Continue reading Why Silas Marner?
The Decameron – Giovanni Boccaccio
A few moons ago, studying the Art History element of my degree, I came across an illustration on the side of a cassone in the National Gallery in Edinburgh; I was fascinated, especially as this particular one had an image which related to the title of this post. Cassone is an Italian term for a … Continue reading The Decameron – Giovanni Boccaccio
Hunger
Well, now, this is one to read when the weather is miserable. "Hunger" is a novel written by Knut Hamsun, first published in 1890. It's a psychologically intense work that delves into the mind of an unnamed narrator living in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He also won the Nobel Prize in Literature and was an … Continue reading Hunger
The Sinner’s Inner Struggle
"The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner" by James Hogg is a complex and thought-provoking novel that delves into themes of religion, morality, duality, and the nature of evil. Set in 18th-century Scotland, the novel follows the life of Robert Wringhim, a young man who believes himself to be predestined for salvation due … Continue reading The Sinner’s Inner Struggle
The Shack
I'll state right from the start of this post, that this novel is simple, universalist heresy. It's thought-provoking, sentimental and a little sad at times, granted, however, as a 'read' it's abominable. A vast amount of Christians were wetting themselves over this book a few years ago, and now that I've finally gotten around to … Continue reading The Shack