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Literature

In The Years, Annie Ernaux traces our changing relationship to the past and to the things we consume

In The Years, Annie Ernaux traces our changing relationship to the past and to the things we consume

At some point in The Years, Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux mentions that when she was a student, she would imagine writing a book that would be “a revelation to others of her innermost being.” By contrast, her memoir The Years, which she published at the age of 68, is more

New Year's resolution to overcome information overload: Commonplace books

New Year's resolution to overcome information overload: Commonplace books

People have been complaining about information overload since antiquity. For example, in the first century AD, The Roman writer Seneca said that “the abundance of books is distraction.” With the invention of the printing press, the flood of information became even more unmanageable, and now information is being disseminated faster

How to deal with your unexciting life: Reading Stoner by John Williams

How to deal with your unexciting life: Reading Stoner by John Williams

This novel is thought-provoking for a modern audience because we confront the threat of nihilism by trying so hard to be somebody, to differentiate ourselves from people in the past, and from the repetitive nature of the work we do.

Advice on writing from Annie Dillard

Advice on writing from Annie Dillard

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard would resonate with anyone who has ever taken up some kind of creative work. A lifetime of wisdom about life and writing is condensed into a slim book of 111 pages. Loosely connected descriptions, anecdotes, and analogies somewhat form a full account of creative

Oil painting of Frodo and Sam leaving the Shire, @jopoart_ on Instagram

Duty and Sacrifice in The Lord of the Rings

"I am not made for perilous quests. I wish I had never seen the Ring! Why did it come to me? Why was I chosen?" (Chapter One, The Fellowship of the Ring" Most would agree that putting your life in danger for the good of the entire Middle earth is

Modernity and Where to Live in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard

Modernity and Where to Live in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard

In, 1876, when Chekhov was 15 years old, his family had to sell their possessions in the country-side and move to Moscow. Later, Chekhov himself also moved to Moscow to attend university. In 1904, the year of his death, Chekhov wrote his last play, The Cherry Orchard, which is about

Dark Airshaft in The Black Book

Dark Airshaft in The Black Book

Orhan Pamuk's internationally acclaimed novel has been reviewed and criticized by many; yet certain chapters of the novel received a lot less attention compared to, for instance, "When the Bosphorus Dries Up." So, I've decided to write about a chapter which has been somehow disregarded as far as I am