literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
A Lesson in Miserly
It was dusk, but the sky was as dark as midnight. The rain drizzled down the crumbling masonry of the old church. The only light was an occasional bolt of lightning, striking the harsh Blue Mountains in the distance. Occasional faint rumbling of carriage wheels and horse hooves could be heard in the distance. The only inclination of time was marked by clanging of the tarnished brass steeple bell, high above the roof lines.
By Emily Atchley5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Bestiary: Selected Stories" by Julio Cortazar
Julio Cortazar, author of the strange, whimsical and often dark novel "Hopscotch" wrote a book of stories and some of the best ones are collected in this fine anthology named "Bestiary" after one of the main stories in the text. I am compelled to say that this book was fairly difficult to understand because of the way some of the stories seemed to cut off at an abrupt moment. But, being in-tune with Cortazar's writing, I know that this is probably nothing new and that his writing is often expected to end in weird places where things are not fully resolved.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Culture and Society" by Raymond Williams
The book “Culture and Society” by Raymond Williams starts out by outlining what the various terms mean in the condition that they are about to be used. The various forces involved in the way in which we are supposed to see these things through a literary lens. From Wordsworth to Byron, from Shelley to DH Lawrence and all the way down to George Orwell and T.S Eliot, Raymond Williams analyses and scrutinises the authors of economic power, the cultural influences and the ways in which these people were part revolutionary and part of the time in which they were involved. The cultural history may not be all that surprising at all when we look at the first-hand and second-hand sources that Raymond Williams have to offer - including the writings of the authors themselves. The way in which British culture has so closely been associated with its literary output is about to be put underneath a microscope that will make you question the various things you previously understood about the lines out of Orwell’s books that are used to mark our new eras and the Romantic Arts where Shelley, Byron and Keats wrote poetry that live on to this day as some of the most revolutionary ever written. The language is very clear and the organisation is easy to follow, though the ideas may not be as original as the author themselves sees them - I still believe that out of all the books on culture, next to “Culture and Anarchy” by Matthew Arnold, this has to be one of the more important ones.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Raised from the Ground" by Jose Saramago
When I first read “Blindness” by Jose Saramago, I first of all fell in love with his writing style. In novels such as “The Gospel According to Jesus Christ”, “Death at Intervals” and even within the book “The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis” - Saramago has displayed his keen eye for detail and his steady hand for descriptions. With “Raised from the Ground”, Saramago explores a family that is, in some ways, like his own and in context, explores an era of rapid social, economical and political change in Portugal. With the onset of the two wars and the entire nation becoming a republic, there is definitely tensions within the structures that some older characters feel when they are on the brink between modernisation and the choice to keep tradition. But, Saramago does not only seek to answer whether these two things can co-exist but whether they will both survive the onset of one of the longest fights in human history: communism. The language with its extremities, the descriptions with their beauty and the cast with their humanity, their consciences and their bewilderment are all interconnected in this world where the next day is pretty much unpredictable as Portugal spins out of control with the rest of Europe. In one of his more daring novels to date, Saramago takes us on a journey to the heart of 20th century Portugal and all the culture that comes with it in the changing times.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
6 of the Best Books Featuring Libraries and Librarians
If there’s anything library fans love more than anything else in the world, it’s books. So what could be better than a book about a library, or featuring a librarian as its main character? Beyond the few obvious and well-known choices — The Shadow of the Wind, The Time Traveller’s Wife — I’ve rounded up a few more for you to try.
By Claire Amy Handscombe5 years ago in Geeks
My 25 Favourite Books of All Time
As it is my birthday I would like to start by saying thank you for all the lovely wishes people have given me. I would also like to say that because it is my 25th birthday, I will be covering my top 25 books of all time. As you know, with a bookworm these can change year by year, or even more frequently, so I'll probably put out another if anything changes. However, my top five books have not changed ever since I was fifteen and so, this is a very special occasion for me since it is their tenth year of featuring together in their positions of this list.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Review of ‘Night Shine’
An orphan girl must face untold danger and an ancient evil to save her kingdom's prince in this lush, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Girls of Paper and Fire and Tess of the Road. How can you live without your heart? In the vast palace of the empress lives an orphan girl called Nothing. She slips within the shadows of the Court, unseen except by the Great Demon of the palace and her true friend, Prince Kirin, heir to the throne. When Kirin is kidnapped, only Nothing and the prince's bodyguard suspect that Kirin may have been taken by the Sorceress Who Eats Girls, a powerful woman who has plagued the land for decades. The sorceress has never bothered with boys before, but Nothing has uncovered many secrets in her sixteen years in the palace, including a few about the prince. As the empress's army searches fruitlessly, Nothing and the bodyguard set out on a rescue mission, through demon-filled rain forests and past crossroads guarded by spirits. Their journey takes them to the gates of the Fifth Mountain, where the sorceress wields her power. There, Nothing will discover that all magic is a bargain, and she may be more powerful than she ever imagined. But the price the Sorceress demands for Kirin may very well cost Nothing her heart.
By Cyn's Workshop5 years ago in Geeks
Wisdom & War
There was nothing but darkness. All around me went black. I still recall the ringing of sirens in my ears, shattering glass and the stomach wrenching sound of bones being crushed. It smelled like blood, fury and death. Yet to my dismay, there was not a single thing in sight.
By Jessica Taylor5 years ago in Geeks
