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Sometimes a man stands up during supper
Sometimes a man stands up during supperand walks outdoors, and keeps on walking,because of a church that stands somewhere in the East. And his children say blessings on him as if he were dead. And another man, who remains inside his own house,dies there, inside the dishes and in the glasses,so that his children have…
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R.U.R. by Karel Čapek
I just finished reading R.U.R., a three-act play written by Karel Čapek and published in 1920. Originally written in Czech, it was quickly translated into many languages. I read the translation done by Claudia Novack in 1989 and published by Penguin. The first English translation omitted significant lines from the play; as such, I recommend…
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This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
I just finished reading This One Summer (2014), a graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki. It is a realistic coming-of-age story focused on two friends and their respective families during an annual summer trip to a lake. I found the characters complex and interesting and the artwork fantastic. Many of…
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The Book-lover: A Guide to the Best Reading by James Baldwin
I recently read The Book-lover: A Guide to the Best Reading (1885) by James Baldwin. This book begins with numerous quotes about reading and the love of books, before transitioning into a discussion of choosing what to read, ways of reading, and the value of libraries. The latter part of the book is a series…
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At the Earth’s Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs
I recently finished reading At the Earth’s Core (1914) by Edgar Rice Burroughs. This is the first of the Pellucidar novels, a series that went on to include seven books in which the protagonist David Innes and others explore a Hollow Earth setting. Reading this was a classic ERB experience. Action, adventure, creatively imagined creatures,…
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Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol
A book jot from February, 2021: I finished reading Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol, translated by Peter Constantine. This is an unusual book. It follows the titular character and his two sons, Cossacks from the historical past, in the 16th or 17th century. It reads almost like an epic folktale, with beautiful passages of descriptive…