Category: literature
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Book Review: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
To say I was intimidated by this book would be an understatement. I didn’t care for Of Mice and Men, and I figured then that I didn’t have any interest in any of John Steinbeck’s other books, but I’ve heard so many great things about East of Eden. The premise alone intrigued me, although I…
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Book Review: The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
After DNFing Paradise Lost earlier this year, my intimidation about picking up this book increased. I feared the same old-style language that hurt my eyes and brain, which, frankly, wasn’t worth it for a book I was only moderately interested in reading. To my relief, The Divine Comedy was far more approachable, and far more…
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Book Review: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Having gotten through War & Peace last year, I felt much less intimidated about picking up Anna Karenina. I’ve heard a lot of people say they prefer this book, and it’s easy to see why. Where War & Peace is largely a political commentary, Anna Karenina keeps its commentary more intertwined with the characters…
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Book Review: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I see what F. Scott Fitzgerald was trying to do. I understand what he was trying to say. I even understand the draw. What I don’t understand is why this book is so hyped and revered as the ultimate piece of classic literature. It wasn’t bad at all, but I found it incredibly average…
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Book Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
This is a classic that I have been wanting to read for years, but for some reason (as usual), I kept putting it off. I wouldn’t say that I was intimidated by it, but I did feel like there was no way it could live up to my expectations. While not quite what I imagined…
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Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Despite my love for classics, I was never drawn to Jane Austen. I think I tried watching the movie of Pride and Prejudice when I was younger, but I wasn’t interested. Although by reading this I confirmed that this isn’t my preferred era of stories, I’m so glad I finally gave it a try…
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Book Review: Graham Greene: The Last Interview
I didn’t want this year to end without reading this much-anticipated book from my bookshelf that somehow kept getting shuffled to the bottom of my priority list. Unfortunately, now that I’ve finally read it, I realize that this wasn’t as spectacular as I’d built it up to be in my mind…
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Book Review: Complete Short Stories by Graham Greene
I saw this in the bookstore shortly after I finished reading The End of the Affair. I was entranced with Graham Greene’s writing. This book has a variety of different stories…
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Book Review: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
Even though this book is a mere 160 pages, I took months to get through it — in a good way! I read Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory last year and the experience hadn’t been what I’d hoped it would be. I lowered my expectations this time and tried not to make any assumptions about…