literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "The Italian Girl" by Iris Murdoch
Iris Murdoch is an author that I've had my ups and downs with - as I believe everyone who has read her works has as well. I really enjoyed reading The Bell, and The Sea, The Sea sits at one of my favourite Murdoch novels of all. The Book and the Brotherhood was brilliant as was The Black Prince. Unfortunately, books such as Under the Net and The Nice and the Good failed to peak my interest as much. They, I found, were thoroughly average. But, I have to say I simply thought A Word Child and The Sandcastle were boring as sin. However, this review is not about them, it's about the book The Italian Girl. Let's talk on what this book is about then and whether it is good, average or boredom.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
Re-Defining the American
The sweet summer air of the colonial frontier depicted by James Fenimore Cooper in his novel The Last of the Mohicans is refreshingly delightful and is filled with rich, thoughtful characters. Hawk-eye and Chingachgook do not follow traditional character development pertaining to hunters and Native Americans of other early American literature attempting to capture the wilds of the great frontier. In fact, J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur's "Letters from an American Farmer", depict the American quite differently. Crevecoeur, all too willingly, applied negative attributes to the American living a life in the wild frontier or the Native American. In severe contrast, Cooper brilliantly demonstrates a genuine relationship between the frontiersman, Hawk-eye, and the Mohican chief, Chingachgook. Their dialogue, candid and lively, adds to the strength, warmth, and mutual respect overflowing in this "unlikely" friendship.
By Rebecca A Hyde Gonzales4 years ago in Geeks
Tall Tales of Leaping Fish and Sleeping Dogs
Back in 2019, I took an American Literature course at the local community college. After reading Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" we were assigned to write a brief reflective essay on this work. I found that I struggled to find a beginning to the essay, so I called my father, a retired professor, and asked him:
By Rebecca A Hyde Gonzales4 years ago in Geeks
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Custom House and The Scarlet Letter
The Custom House The introduction to The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, also known as "The Custom House", is autobiographical in nature with a great many embellishments. Though not customarily described as creative fiction, there is enough truth in Hawthorne's introduction to give it that tag. Considering the contents of "The Custome House," Hawthorne shares that he may "keep the inmost Me behind its veil," he also concludes that it is in his rights to "be autobiographical without violating either the reader's rights or his own" (6).
By Rebecca A Hyde Gonzales4 years ago in Geeks
May '22 Reads
May was another hot and heavy reading month; although, this time, there were only five books conquered. I hit a slight reading slump, but I haven’t come to terms with the idea of “DNF’ing” books. On one hand, I applaud those who do, but on the other hand, I believe there’s something to be taken from every book read. Or rather, every piece of media consumed.
By Victoria Brown4 years ago in Geeks
Historical Fiction
If you were to ask anyone the question: "What is history?", you may get answers that include the study of people or events that occurred in the past. That study may include dates and places. This sounds like a chronology of facts. But what if history could be more than just facts? History has been documented and commented on in textbooks. In addition, history has been depicted in and expressed in literature and art. Historical fiction, such as Les Miserables, uses the French Revolution to propel the plot forward; adding a richness and dimension to the actions of the characters. The same can be said of the novels by Laura Esquivel and Luis Sepulveda. They have incorporated elements of history, providing multiple layers of meaning and understanding to the text. In Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate, a story of love and war revolves around Tita, the youngest of three sisters. Sepulveda's The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, explores the fragile balance between man and nature along with the agony of lost love. Although Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate and Sepulveda's The Old Man Who Read Love Stories set their stories against the backdrop of history, they are based on different historical conflicts, how they are presented, and their symbolic nature.
By Rebecca A Hyde Gonzales4 years ago in Geeks
Magical Realism. Top Story - June 2022.
Ask any child and they will tell you that magic is real. The imagination of a child is fueled by literature and film vibrant with the supernatural. The fairy tale, often associated with children's literature, is a powerful tool with multiple levels of meaning that help shape the world and our beliefs. Latin American novelists have used the power of magic to shape our world allowing readers to comprehend what is seen in the everyday world. Laura Esquivel's novel, Like Water for Chocolate, and Luis Sepulveda's novel, The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, fall under the genre of magical realism. In Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate, a story of love and war revolves around Tita, the youngest of three sisters. Sepulveda's, The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, explores the fragile balance between man and nature along with the agony of lost love. The magic of Esquivel's world drips like icing on a cake, whereas Sepulveda's novel draws on the supernatural only found in the depths of the Amazonian jungle among the Shuar.
By Rebecca A Hyde Gonzales4 years ago in Geeks
"Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi
Out of many books which detail the oppression of a government regime, this one has to have the best extended metaphors there are. It is a book which details a nonfiction account of the author's own time in Iran from the time of the revolution all the way to her departure in 1997. Her refusal to wear the veil in 1979 got her expelled from teaching at the University of Tehran and her resignation from a further university in the 90s helped her formation of a book club which read books that considered the oppression of people held against their will by a government who did not respect their views and opinions, they also considered the problem that her own government had with women.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
I Have Read 16 Books This Year – Here Are My Favourites
I promised myself I would read at least thirty books this year, and I am halfway through my to-be-read pile. Nothing makes me happier than sharing my opinions on books, so here's a list of the ones that have made an impact on me.
By Martina I.4 years ago in Geeks
The Slaves of Solitude & Eye Of The Needle and For Whom the Bell Tolls Book Reviews
Book reviews The famous novel "The Slaves of Solitude" was written by Patrick Hamilton. It was published in 1947. It was also republished in 2007 by the New York Review Books Classic. It was originally published in the United States under the title Riverside. "I consider Hamilton to be one of the living legends and this is the best book he has ever written," the famous poet Bettman said in a review of the book in the Daily Magazine.
By Mehedi Hasan Shawon4 years ago in Geeks
Romeo And Juliet & So Long See You Tomorrow Book Reviews
Book Review Romeo and Juliet is the most romantic and tragic love story of all time. Romeo and Juliet is a work by William Shakespeare, which has been successful in meeting the expectations of readers since 1595 and has been in people's minds for a long time. It is one of the most romantic dramas in the history of the world.
By Mehedi Hasan Shawon4 years ago in Geeks
