literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
My Happy Place...
Comfy, Cozy, Safe, Nowhere to Be, No One to See, A Warm Fire, Thick Extra Soft and Wonderful Blanket, Books, Books and More Books (preferably Jane Austen), and a Glass of a “Relaxing - Sipping Beverage”, Watching Snow Fall, Everything Quiet and Mindful of the Moment.
By Brandis Geddes5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Man in the Red Coat" by Julian Barnes
“The Man in the Red Coat” is possibly to this day, one of Julian Barnes’ greatest works. About the doctor, Samuel Pozzi, this book does not just tell us the autobiography of this man but also the surroundings, the people within his circles, the culture and the downfall of the fin-de-siecle belle epoch of France and England during this time. As someone who loves British and French decadent cultures, I got into this book very quickly as it starts off by simply giving us the surroundings, the atmosphere and the background of the novel and its non-fiction set up. The decadence is a bubbling pot of debauchery, drugs and intrigue. The courts and upper classes are filled with people who [as Barnes put it in a line of the book] are ‘ladies above scandal’. And yet, Barnes also tells us about how this culture was so set on its own self-serving patriarchy that there was absolutely no way it could have survived. It comes crashing down with the outbreak of the First World War.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Quiet Days in Clichy" by Henry Miller
“Quiet Days in Clichy” I have to admit, is not one of Henry Miller’s best works but it is still something to be admired amongst the general realm of literature in which love letters are written to and about cities and places. In this text by Henry Miller, there is a general sense of awe pervading Paris and yet, something about it always seems a bit overly-romanticised. As if Henry Miller is really trying to make up for what the city lacks in substance, he builds up in stylistic writing and romantic images that require pastel-coloured backgrounds and berets sitting in a cafe somewhere in order to be full appreciated. I’m not saying that this is not a good idea, but what I am saying is to take this picture of Paris for what it is - a piece of art. It is not a representation of a city which is now basically in ruin and has been for a very long time. The contrast from New York to Paris is never really made definite upon the personalities within both with New York obviously having the more progressive types of people. Be that as it may, we cannot take away from the fact that the city of light has become of central importance to Henry Miller over the course of many texts of his and that it has served him well. One thing I have to say as well is that he makes this city, that is no longer in its prime, out to be something far greater than it is - and that is a skill, not a fault.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
5 Books Bill Gates Thinks You Should Read in 2021
Instead, I’m referring to a genuine love of reading that inspires me to think differently about the world. How do I continuously find new and exciting books to read? By paying attention to recommendations from passionate readers, such as Bill Gates, and then reading them as soon as I get an opportunity.
By Student Matters5 years ago in Geeks
On the merits of reading fiction
The world we are currently living in does not seem like a pleasant place. The pandemic is wreaking havoc in most of the world's countries, and the incoming crisis is unavoidable. This timeline likes to tease its' inhabitants. As many places are inaccessible to us, and meeting other people can only be accomplished through the cold embrace of a computer screen, we are left on our own in the secluded comfort of our apartment.
By Piotr Herdzik5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Paris" by Julian Green
“Paris” by Julian Green is about how one man, who was born somewhere else, came to live most of his life in the then-picturesque French Capital and what he remembers of it. The images and quotations make for great reading, great philosophies and thoughts, and they make for a brilliant build of story for when we investigate the depths of each alleyway and piece of architecture that litters the city with stories of its own. There is something incredible about this book that when you read it, you actually feel like you are inhaling the Paris air at the same time as Julian Green is running around the city like a philosophical tour guide, on his race to show you everything he holds extremely dear to him. From the amazing palaces to the backstreet bohemian cafes, from the existential quotation to the collectivism of the city’s inhabitants, from the overwhelming sense of being alone in the world, to the implication that maybe, in reality, none of this really matters at all - Julian Green is showing us the most intricate parts of one of the most historical and mysterious cities of the modern world. He does this whilst telling his own stories and anecdotes, weaving them in with the descriptions, the statements and suggestions on what the city can teach us about ourselves and our appreciation of person and place.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Brother Robert" by Annye C. Anderson
I never really believed in the theory/mythology of Robert Johnson selling his soul to the Devil at the crossroads for his talent at playing the guitar. Not only because this seemed like a myth created because he died young but it also seems like the myth itself [the ‘Devil at the Crossroads’] is actually much older than Robert Johnson and is more used as an excuse to explain things that cannot be explained. The truth is, whatever you believe, Robert Johnson was an immensely talented human being and in this book, his own sister tries to show us why these terrible lies about his life have been used to fill in the gaps to which most people cannot possibly know. We take a look into the life of someone who actually spent time with Johnson, was not only a sister to him but also a good friend of his. One thing I absolutely loved about this book is that she tears down all of these lies and myths in order to reveal something that Robert Johnson was - a human being. I think that she does a brilliant job of voicing why so many people were so very wrong about her brother and the music that he created. I also think she does an incredible job of changing our minds about Robert Johnson as a person. He was not this dark and enigmatic figure who sold his soul to the Devil. He was an intensely talented young man who liked to play the guitar and have a good time. That’s what was so important to me when reading this book.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "South Sea Tales" by R.L Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson is probably better known for his work on the shorter gothic novella entitled “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” which has been made into many a great movie from the Jazz age all the way to our own day, being transferred on to the stage and into television shows with the main character even making it big in other films not based on the book itself. When it comes to his lesser known works though, Robert Louis Stevenson does not disappoint. Think of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” as his magnum opus yes, but never think of him as a one-trick pony. “South Sea Tales” is written about the time where Robert Louis Stevenson moved to Samoa for his health in 1890 and was influenced by the culture he saw there and the ravaging that imperialism did to it. As a homage to the great and wonderful country of Samoa, Robert Louis Stevenson writes with aesthetic pleasure, appreciation and more than often, love - of a place he called his new home only some few years before his untimely death. He died at the age of 44, only a mere four years after moving to Samoa and was so loved by the community there that they carried his body up a mountain and inscribed his tomb with a cultural song of praise. He had written their country so beautifully into the work we now know as “South Sea Tales” which holds the picturesque island in high regard over its imperial enslavers in both morality and personality.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
