literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "The Haunting of Las Lagrimas" by W.M Cleese
When it comes to the modern gothic, there are certain things that I think you guys already know I love: atmosphere, character development and even more atmosphere. Descriptions are always key to creating one hell of a great gothic whether old or new. One aspect of that description, and a large portion of it, should be dedicated to making the atmosphere as perfect, dark and strange as physically possible. I think that this book does it really well and almost sounds like the modern gothic has been stripped raw. The atmosphere is a blend of old and new and the idea of the 'curse' is something classic alongside the more modern aspects of the narrative. The modern gothic has not only been exemplified here, but it has also been blended with Latin American beliefs and historical ideas which gives it the dark whispery nature of an Isabel Allende novel.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Happy Moscow" by Andrey Platonov
If you know me, then you probably know how much I adore Russian Literature. One of my favourite books of all time and one that I have read time and time again has been Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov and other favourites of mine include War and Peace and the amazing Anna Karenina. But apart from the Golden Age, I do like other Russian novels as well. Books by Mikhail Bulgakov and Vladimir Nabokov have often been among my favourites, especially Nabokov's Invitation to a Beheading. Books by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn such as The Gulag Archipelago and Cancer Ward have captured my being at one time or another with Nikolai Gogol's Dead Souls having a profound impact on the way I think about Russian Literature and its bleak state of being. Let's now take a look at the novel Happy Moscow by Andrey Platonov.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Constant Nymph" by Margaret Kennedy
I have to admit, I have not read anything by Margaret Kennedy before, though I have heard of her. Let's have a look at the story of how I came into contact with this book. First of all, at the Birmingham Library, I found this book on a shelf in the fiction section. The one thing different about this book was that when I picked it up, I almost instantly knew that I wanted to read it. It very rarely happens before I read a blurb and so, I decided to make this a random book of the week for myself in which I read a book by an author I have never read before. Later that day, sitting in the bar, I started to read the book and by the first few pages, was fascinated by the writing style. Emotional and yet descriptive, it seemed completely to my own tastes of literature. Let's take a look at what The Constant Nymph is about.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Kathleen and Frank" by Christopher Isherwood
In my time, I have read many books by Christopher Isherwood. Among my favourites are: Mr Norris Changes Trains, The Memorial, The World in the Evening, Goodbye to Berlin, Lions and Shadows and of course, Down There on a Visit. The reason I like reading Christopher Isherwood is because of his writing style. Deeply introspective, filled with lavish dark and glamorous description, Christopher Isherwood seems to seek to create a world that challenges our own view of the good life. He seeks to get deep into the heart of the rotting insides of the world of fame, fortune and high society and ultimately shows us how everyone is trying desperately to keep up appearances.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "A Harlot High and Low" by Honoré de Balzac
When it comes to Honoré de Balzac, I think there are some presumptions about his writing that people have before they approach it. The first thing they tend to assume is that he is difficult to read. Well, if you do not love long and flowery philosophical descriptions that are styled like what Oscar Wilde would be if he ran headfirst into Victor Hugo then you will probably find him difficult to read. He is not difficult to read because of the language, but the style is so decadent and beautiful, so amazingly philosophical and emotional that if you love tons of action all the time, you are seriously going to have to reconsider reading Honoré de Balzac.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
The Wheel of Time Season 1 Review - Amazon TV Show Series
The Wheel of Time is a series of fantasy novels written by American author Robert Jordan. The first novel in the series, The Shadow Rising, was published in 1977 and has sold over 20 million copies. It is the second novel published under Jordan's sole name (after The Eye of the World). Jordan began writing it while serving as the United States Air Force cryptographer and research scientist at Loring Air Force Base in Minnesota
By Girijashankar Ray4 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "New York Stories" edited by Diana Secker Tesdell
Everyman anthologies of short stories and poems may be fairly expensive, but are usually worth the payment in order to own a lovely book of short fiction that you can keep returning to. As with any book, there are some that are better curated than others and as with any set of books, there are usually stronger and weaker anthologies with the curation and organisation being at the forefront of how they are judged. I have to say that so far on my explorations, Paris Stories has been one of the best organised anthologies so far. With New York Stories I was on the fence because of the fact the stories, unlike the Paris Stories are not in time order and so, let us delve into why I sit on the fence with this particular anthology.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Smell of Hay" by Giorgio Bassani
When it comes to the works of Giorgio Bassani, I have read quite a few of them to this point and most of the time, I have been either completely in love with them or somewhat on the fence about them. This is one I have to say, I am on the fence about because of its fragmented nature and how it switches between the fiction and nonfiction states of writing. The other novels by Giorgio Bassani that I have read include, but are not limited to: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, The Heron, Gold-Rimmed Spectacles and Within the Walls. So far, it has been a hit or miss situation and honestly, I half-expected to be on the fence about this, being the last of the Ferrara Novel Series.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Trouble with Happiness and Other Stories" by Tove Ditlevsen
Advanced copy provided by NetGalley. I have not read much Tove Ditlevsen, I have read the usual stuff: Youth, Childhood, Dependency and The Faces. But, I have yet to read any short stories by her. Her writing is most often incredibly descriptive, containing some really psychological intensities about the character's appearance as a critique of who they are. This isn't just through looks, it is also through perception, what is thought about their looks and by who. This is definitely true for the first part of this book entitled: The Umbrella. This book in which Helga is constantly being critiqued by everything and everyone around her shows this emotional isolation she is in far better than simply writing about her feelings. I absolutely adore this passage:
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Henry V: From Playboy Prince to Warrior King" by Anne Curry
As you (really) already know by now, I am reading one book about every single king and queen of England starting with Edward the Confessor and working my way forwards. So far, I have read a book about each of the following: Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson, William the Conqueror, William Rufus (William II), Henry I, King Stephen, Empress Matilda, Henry II, Richard I, King John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV and now, we approach the story of a 'warrior' king - Henry V. This book is entitled: Henry V: From Playboy Prince to Warrior King by Anne Curry.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Geeks
