A Dark Comedy of Bright Young People: Vile Bodies Review

It impressed me at times as a dark mirror to some of P.G. Wodehouse's writings, for its comedy and caricature, though Wodehouse tends to be more forgiving in outlook, whereas Waugh does not shy away from brutal consequences.

Trading on Social Currency: The House of Mirth Review

The House of Mirth is a multi-faceted, in-depth novelization of the difficulty of unmarried young women without a fortune who are nevertheless members of a certain upper-class social circle, and the lengths they must go to maintain their position...

Classics Club Spin #34

After not completing the last spin on time, due to feeling a bit behind and swamped with books, I'm actually in a place where I'm feeling ready for the next one. (We're overlooking the fact that I'm still behind on reviews.) So here goes! I took all of the titles I have left (minus one… Continue reading Classics Club Spin #34

‘Absent from everything most densely real’

Recently, I recognized a pattern of thought and behaviour in myself: I am long past mentally finished with a position or situation in life by the time I actually change it. I'm currently in that mental space of being prepared to be somewhere else, while still showing up where I'm currently committed to. I can… Continue reading ‘Absent from everything most densely real’

Taking the Temperature of a Society: Fahrenheit 451 Review

A philosophic aside If something is not untrue, is that the same as saying it is true? Let me provide a parallel example: if someone is not wrong, does that mean they are right? I'm fairly confident anyone with the slightest degree of ability to grasp nuance of language would instinctively, if not confidently, say… Continue reading Taking the Temperature of a Society: Fahrenheit 451 Review

I Am Writing This Letter: The History of Emily Montague Review

Blurb for The History of Emily Montague by Frances Brooke Set in Quebec City immediately after Wolfe's conquest, this charming love story depicts in intimate detail the life of that city's early English inhabitants. It is a comedy of manners played against a backdrop of the rugged scenery of the New World, a world in… Continue reading I Am Writing This Letter: The History of Emily Montague Review

Obscure Tolkien for Tolkien Reading Day

In honour of Tolkien Reading Day, I thought I would just make a quick listing and mini-reviews of a few of J.R.R. Tolkien's more obscure works that I have read. Living in the literary/reading/Christian (alternately: nerdy) circles that I do, it is hard for me to single out many of Tolkien's works as "obscure," but… Continue reading Obscure Tolkien for Tolkien Reading Day

Classics Club Spin #33

This is my second Classics Club spin since joining, so I'm quite excited to see what I get to read next! I have been steadily working through the books on my list (plus a backlogged review), but I still have the vast majority of them to go, so let's do this. My method of picking… Continue reading Classics Club Spin #33

The Best and the Wisest: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892-1893) Review

It may seem like I have reviewed this collection of Holmes stories before, but I assure you I have not. This second collection of Holmes "Adventures" is also published independently as "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes." In my complete fascimile 'Strand' edition, these twelve stories are numbered 13-24, as a continuation of the first twelve… Continue reading The Best and the Wisest: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892-1893) Review