Category: My Words

Thoughts and memories-a-plenty!

The Painted Veil: A Saucy Dissection of W. Somerset Maugham’s Sublime Slap in the Face

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W. Somerset Maugham’s The Painted Veil is a bit like finding a deceptively lovely flower in a poisoned Chinese river. Ostensibly a story of love, betrayal, and redemption, it teases the reader with a delicate veneer of romance, only to plunge us headfirst into a cynical, uncomfortably reflective look at the human soul. If you thought you … Continue reading The Painted Veil: A Saucy Dissection of W. Somerset Maugham’s Sublime Slap in the Face

Forget the Fawkes: Why We Owe the Gunpowder Plot to Robert Catesby

~ Robert ~ 2 Comments

If you ask the average Briton who led the Gunpowder Plot, chances are they’ll mutter “Guy Fawkes” while half-heartedly stirring their tea. Fireworks, effigies, and a roaring bonfire dedicated to burning Mr Fawkes have immortalised him as the nation’s favourite terrorist (or anti-hero, depending on how rebellious you’re feeling). But the truth is, Guy Fawkes … Continue reading Forget the Fawkes: Why We Owe the Gunpowder Plot to Robert Catesby

Sex, Solitude, and a Side of Nietzsche: Making Sense of The Unbearable Lightness of Being

~ Robert ~ 3 Comments

Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a novel that deals with such weighty topics that it almost feels ironic to handle them with a title so buoyant as 'lightness.' This text floats through philosophy, politics, love, and betrayal with the kind of existential pondering usually reserved for lonely people in cafes at 2am. It’s a … Continue reading Sex, Solitude, and a Side of Nietzsche: Making Sense of The Unbearable Lightness of Being