The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Literature │The OtherThe Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Waoby Junot Diaz (published in “Avrupa” newspaper) I believe that honesty is of upmost importance, in fact, it is vital, and that is why I am going to immediately declare that within the first few chapters of this novel, I nearly put it down and cast it away for good; but I kept on reading having been told that it was a good book, and as you may know, when someone tells you that a book is good, you almost feel that it is your obligation to be a fan of it
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Literature │The Other SideThe Reader by Bernhard Schlink (published in “Avrupa” newspaper) The Reader” was a great success, finally allowing Kate Winslet to gush over an award at the Oscars for “Best Actress”, but I am not going to talk about how great the film was, I am going to leave that up to the film section, and I am sure that there is a lot to say about it. The Reader, written by Bernhard Schlink, was published in Germany in 1995, Schlink, it appears, is a man of many talents; from 1988 he was a judge, as well as
JANE AUSTEN – Better Late Than Never
Literature │Better Late than Never Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (published in “Avrupa” newspaper) It has come to my attention, with full gusto, that the phrase “better late than never” resonates deeply when it comes to the reading of an Austen classic, and I will share with you the reason why. Having been a student of English, and briefly touching upon Austen’s Mansfield Park, and Northanger Abbey for a gothic course, I was drawn into Austen’s alluring use of satire. She mocked the laughable elements of society which made people act in foolish ways; she also mocked the institute
Virginia Woolf’s The Years
Literature │A Voice through TimeVirginia Woolf’s The Years (published in “Avrupa” newspaper) The Years was going to be something new; it was going to “…take in everything, sex, education, life etc and come with the most powerful and agile leaps like a chamois, across precipices from 1880 to here and now”, wrote Virginia Woolf, and this, she certainly achieved. As I edged closer to the end of this novel, my fingers gripping to the pages, hoping that it was not going to end yet, even after 410 pages or so, I knew that it was going to have to. As
Turgenev’s First Love
Literature │ From Russia, With LoveA Review of Turgenev’s First Love (Published in “Avrupa” Newspaper) The scene is set, after a party of guests have left and two friends remain seated, they decide to tell one another the stories of their first loves. First loves are meant to be sweet and charming, but as with much Russian literature, we know that nothing is going to be clear cut and easy. The novella’s protagonist, Vladimir Petrovich declares, “My first love was certainly not at all ordinary”, and it is then that we know for sure that we are in for an
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Literature │The Many Lives of a Book:Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (published in Avrupa newspaper) I have often wondered about what makes one pick up a book. Is it the luring picture on the cover? Is it a recommendation from a friend? Or maybe because it is the book that everyone is talking about and Revolutionary Road is on everyone’s lips at the moment, but it is not the book, it is the film. Revolutionary Road was Yates’ first novel, written in 1961. The novel was an immediate success, landing itself as a finalist in the National Book Awards. The
Orhan Pamuk; A Tale of Two Cities
Literature │A Tale of Two Cities: Orhan Pamuk – Istanbul: Memories and the City By Zehra Mustafa (Published In ‘Avrupa’ Newspaper) Pamuk’s account of Istanbul is not one that belongs to the city alone, but one that intertwines his life with the very life force of Istanbul which he refers to as hüzün, meaning a form of melancholy. Pamuk’s memoir can be read as a poet’s guide book to life in the streets of what comes across as a confused culture caught in a state of unmovable debris, which offers one a strong sense of melancholy and beauty all at
Madness and the Artist
Literature │Madness and the Artist:A review of Marya Hornbacher’s Madness: A Bipolar Life By Zehra Mustafa (published in Avrupa newspaper) “…if a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of the Muses, believing that technique alone will make him a good poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the performances of the inspired madman.” This quote from Plato’s Phaedrus is one that is used over and over again to describe the relationship between madness and creativity. The dialogue with Socrates, Plato’s protagonist is written in such a way, that
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