A short while ago, I accompanied my father to the doctor's surgery, to his appointment for pre-scan blood tests. As we settled into the waiting room, I found myself without any reading material. Glancing around, I noticed a small, unassuming book on the table: Bambi. With a mischievous grin, I picked it up and waved … Continue reading A Romp Through the Thickets of Bambi
Month: June 2024
The Razor’s Edge: A Fine Line Between Genius and the Mundane
Mundane is perhaps how I'd describe this post; it's been a strange and emotional day, with few cogs working. Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge is a peculiar novel, one that teeters precariously on the fine line between profound existential inquiry and the sort of navel-gazing typically reserved for teenage diary entries. At the heart of … Continue reading The Razor’s Edge: A Fine Line Between Genius and the Mundane
Mesmerism and Mortality: Edgar Allan Poe’s Macabre Exploration in ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’
Imagine the audacious organisers of a Hen or Stag party, gleefully arranging for a Hypnotist solely to amuse themselves at the expense of their inebriated guests, who may be compelled to cluck like chickens or strike poses reminiscent of tea pots. The absurdity of such a spectacle is almost Poe-esque in its dark humour, a … Continue reading Mesmerism and Mortality: Edgar Allan Poe’s Macabre Exploration in ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’
A Midsummer Nightmare
Marc Chagall’s painting A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a garish spectacle that fails to capture the essence of Shakespeare’s timeless play. Chagall, known for his vibrant colours and dreamlike compositions, seems to have let his whimsical tendencies run amok in this work, resulting in a piece that is as perplexing as it is unsatisfactory. Firstly, … Continue reading A Midsummer Nightmare
The Haunting of Power and Remorse
Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan, painted by Ilya Repin in 1885 - Public Domain Stare into the absolute, tormenting agony etched in those eyes! I first encountered this haunting image as a schoolboy, and it's lingered in my memory ever since. The distress conveyed in those eyes is almost tangible. They're wide, brimming … Continue reading The Haunting of Power and Remorse
Wording 