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
Author: Robert
A fifty-something, retired Celestial Travel Agent and Afterlife Preparation Specialist. Walked many paths; some good, lots bad. Meandering through a difficult past, plodding in the present, crawling toward the future. I've studied English Literature, and hold a BA (Hons) Hum. (History & Art History) & MA (Humanities with English Literature)
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
The Monstrous Monk: Lewis’ Controversial Masterpiece
Matthew Gregory Lewis' The Monk is a Gothic novel that, upon its publication in 1796, caused such a ruckus that it made the scandals of 18th-century high society look like polite tea parties. Picture this: a book that combines lust, murder, and demonic pacts, all wrapped up in the not-so-holy setting of a monastery - monks behaving … Continue reading The Monstrous Monk: Lewis’ Controversial Masterpiece
Wording 