André Gide, that sly archbishop of paradox, published The Vatican Cellars in 1914 - the very year Europe began dismantling its cathedrals with artillery fire. It’s a book that calls itself a ‘sotie’ - a medieval farce performed by jesters in cap and bells - which is Gide’s way of saying, ‘This is a joke, … Continue reading The Vatican Cellars: Or, How to Build a Cathedral on Quick Sand
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Through the Peephole: Henri Barbusse’s The Inferno
Lately, I find myself immersed in a sea of existentialist musings, possibly reflecting my own melancholic state of mind and sombre outlook on life. And the work I'm about to detail is hard to pin down to exactly which literary genre this introspective fluff belongs to - Existentialist? Modernist? Philosophical Fiction? Psychological Fiction? Perhaps it … Continue reading Through the Peephole: Henri Barbusse’s The Inferno
The Moon and Sixpence: A Dance with the Devil of Artistry
When I first encountered the works of W. Somerset Maugham, I was not yet in my teens. My initial foray into his literary world was through Of Human Bondage, and I was immediately captivated. However, it was The Moon and Sixpence that truly ensnared my imagination. The allure of this novel lay not only in … Continue reading The Moon and Sixpence: A Dance with the Devil of Artistry
Disarmed
Sometimes, I find myself lacking the willpower or energy to fight back against the crushing weight of my own thoughts. By fight, I mean the internal struggle to push away the overwhelming impulse to disappear, to escape from this world. Not that I have a spaceship or anything like that - my feet are firmly … Continue reading Disarmed
Wording 