January 10, 2022 Thérèse Raquin – Émile Zola Thérèse Raquin is another version of the age-old story of love, lust, adultery, and murder. Yet, Émile Zola’s presentation of the story of this…
January 3, 2022 The Gambler – Fyodor Dostoevsky After this second reading, I’m forced to change my entire opinion on this book. This was my introduction to Dostoevsky, so I didn’t know…
January 1, 2022 Winter of Our Discontent – John Steinbeck The Winter of Our Discontent is the grand finale of John Steinbeck’s fictitious creation. Deriving the title from William Shakespeare’s Richard III opening lines…
December 29, 2021 Candide – Voltaire It seems that I haven’t known or understood Voltaire enough to appreciate his most acclaimed work. This reading put me straight since I’ve revisited…
December 15, 2021 Letters on England – Voltaire Letters on England, a collection of letters written by Voltaire while living in exile in England, comprises Voltaire’s observations on English politics, governance, religion,…
December 9, 2021 The Bet – Anton Chekhov This is a very thought-provoking short story. The apparent theme is, which punishment is better? Capital punishment or life imprisonment. The lawyer thinks that…
December 8, 2021 The Hunchback of Notre-Dame – Victor Hugo I’m now quite resigned to being disappointed in books that are written by my favourite classical authors. It looks like I’m in the process…
December 8, 2021 Pedro Páramo – Juan Rulfo Written in the style of magical realism, Juan Rulfo’s Pedro Páramo is quite an unusual novel. Its characters are ghosts and the only one…
November 29, 2021 The Letter of Vincent van Gogh I have had an interest in painting since my younger days. I never painted myself, nor could I draw or sketch, yet I was…
November 28, 2021 Cannery Row – John Steinbeck “It has always seemed strange to me…The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding, and feeling, are the concomitants of…