Prepare yourself, because we’re in for a bit of a journey here - one that’s as layered and compelling as a Starkfield winter storm. I find myself utterly fascinated by the characters in this novel, each of them a study in human frailty and resilience, so after this initial critique, I’ll be diving deeper into … Continue reading Frozen Lives: A Starkfield Symphony of Misery
Tag: reading
Death by Drapery: Tolstoy’s Morbid Masterpiece and the Mediocrity of Ivan Ilyich
The Death of Ivan Ilyich, or as I like to call it, 'How to Have a Midlife Crisis While Actively Dying.' This novella by Tolstoy is less a story and more a literary post-mortem of a man who spends his life climbing the social ladder only to realise, with the grim clarity of impending death, … Continue reading Death by Drapery: Tolstoy’s Morbid Masterpiece and the Mediocrity of Ivan Ilyich
The Joy of Dusty Books: Why Reading Classic Literature is the Ultimate Mind-Body Workout
Apparently, I’m boring. Old-fashioned. Out of touch with the times - all because I choose to read classic literature. Imagine that! How terribly narrow-minded, how deliciously myopic, to dismiss an entire world of profound thought, timeless insight, and exquisite artistry simply because it doesn’t come with a glossy cover and a trending hashtag. It’s an … Continue reading The Joy of Dusty Books: Why Reading Classic Literature is the Ultimate Mind-Body Workout
Merrylegs
Merrylegs, the diminutive, doting dog in Dickens’ Hard Times, is one of those characters who, though small in stature, lingers in the mind like a stubborn piece of fluff on a dark coat. Now, I confess, when I first read the novel, I didn’t pay Merrylegs much attention. After all, when set against the likes of … Continue reading Merrylegs
A Rather Over-the-Top Love Letter to Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White
Let me start by saying this: if The Woman in White were a person, I’d be hopelessly smitten. Truly, I’d marry it on the spot - or, at the very least, I’d buy it a drink, slide closer, and hope for the kind of long, dramatic romance that novels like this are made of. From the very … Continue reading A Rather Over-the-Top Love Letter to Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White
Wording 