James Wood makes the sign of the cross and blesses the reader of his new article in the New Yorker with some very interesting thoughts. For instance “Does literature progress, like medicine or engineering?” I don’t believe it does, only that the fashions of it do. Wood here really lands a knockout punch in the first paragraph [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Literature’
James Wood: Keeping it Squeal
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Balzac, Flaubert, James Wood, Literature, Realist Novel on March 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
The End for the Beginning, or the Beginning for the End?
Posted in Culture Shock, Literary Hirsutes, tagged Dostoevsky, Dystopia, Evil, Literature, Men, Religion, Renaissance, Science, Sin, Utopia on December 15, 2009 | 1 Comment »
In Literature we have all grown accustomed to the Dystopian and Utopian genres. That we can perfect a heaven or a hell on earth are thoughts that merit a closer look. Science and religion, now quite distinct from each other, are the lenses upon which we may view the worlds of Dystopia and Utopia. Now the prevailing [...]
Frank McCourt, dead at 78…
Posted in Literary Hirsutes, tagged Frank McCourt, Irish-Americans, Literature on July 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
As you might already have heard Irish-American author Frank McCourt is dead at 78 from melanoma. Here is a link to the NYTimes.com article about Mr. McCourt: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/books/20mccourt.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th
French poetry Today edited by Edward Lucie-Smith and Simon Watson Taylor
Posted in Literary Hirsutes, tagged Edward Lucie-Smith, French Poetry, Literature on November 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
This spectacular little book encompasses French Poetry from 1950-70. The superb introduction features critic/scholar Edward Lucie-Smith expounding the History of French Poetry from Nerval and Baudelaire to 1970. The book presents the poetry in its’ original French and with English translation. The introduction constantly contrasts American/English Poetry and the evolution of French Poetry. While admitting [...]
Toni Morrison’s new novel, or how John Updike wrote a half-assed book report for The New Yorker
Posted in Literary Hirsutes, tagged John Updike, Literature, The New Yorker, Toni Morrison on October 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Take it from me there is nothing worse than reading bad writing which is focused upon more bad writing. Now I don’t know what your stance is on Toni Morrison, (little know fact: she is Jim’s second cousin) or on Updike and frankly I don’t care either. Now, now sensitive reader don’t close your browser [...]
Dombey and Son cont.
Posted in Literary Hirsutes, tagged Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, Literature, Victoriana on October 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I have ventured further into the land of Boz, I mean Dickens. The last post regarding this novel left one with the cliffhanger ‘How will Dickens develop young Dombey’? After more reading-I did hold the book kind of close-I have come upon the precise passage that foreshadows young Dombey’s development, though rather ambiguous it goes [...]
