The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
I’m bothered when I am bored by a book. This is particularly irksome when it has been hailed as a classic which this novel has been. However, I cannot tell a lie. ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’ bored me to my bones. It is relatively…
Hopper by Mark Strand
This book could serve as meditation prompts because the focus of both the paintings poet Mark Strand chooses and his essays is to, ‘locate the viewer in a virtual space.’ He isn’t interested in the social and cultural aspect of Hopper’s work but in how…
The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
This book started out slow for me. The first part of the book felt defensive; explanations for how the perorative, ‘bird brain,’ focused on the sheer size of their tiny brains wasn’t the right way to consider their intelligence. The author then proceeds to measure…
Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin
‘Origin of the Species’ was written more than twenty years after many of his observations were first made on the Beagle’s voyage. However, what he observed about geologic formations, flora and fauna served as the basis for his theory that all life was subject to…
The Mandelbaum Gate by Muriel Spark
I am such a Spark fan that a few years ago I purchased a complete set of her novels sold in beautiful editions each with an introduction. I have read all but this one and ‘Reality and Dreams’ so I’m on a mission to be…
Reality and Dreams by Muriel Spark
I have now read all of Muriel Spark’s twenty two novels! I’ve already decided I will start at the beginning and read them all again if I live long enough. I should say I have read all twenty two of her fictions because I have…
Archives
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021