Moonbear by Frank Asch
In June 2020 Moonbear’s very first adventure was reissued. Frank Asch’s Moonbear can be experienced in a fresh, new format, but stays with the classic story. I knew who Moonbear was but had not really read anything in the series. Or if I had, they did not “stick” with me. And even though the reader copy I had said Moonbear I thought it was going to be a new book, not a new edition. I am honestly not sure how I felt about a bear […]
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
I have mixed feelings about this book. I have this impression that The Picture of Dorian Gray is the unanimously loved classic, and I might be the exception but alas, let’s move on with the review. I feel the basic premise of Oscar Wilde’s most famous novel is part of the collective consciousness. I only noticed how little I knew about it once actually listening to it. A beautiful young man poses for a portrait. Upon completion, he becomes obsessed with his beauty and makes […]
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
I feel as though, following my reading of Frankenstein, I need to do some kind of deep analysis of its themes and subtext. There is so much just beneath the surface that needs further research and thought. Alas, I don’t really have time for a self-imposed literature assignment, so I’ll just stick with a book review and a few random thoughts and observations for now. Frankenstein is the tale of a man whose thirst for knowledge and invention is his ultimate undoing – a ‘modern’ […]
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Rebecca has been on my literary radar for 20 years and on my to read list for 6. It has felt like a big, important work that I needed to read, if only to more easily understand some of the references that are out and about: Mrs. Danvers, the opening line of “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again”, and so on. Rebecca joined the list of books I categorized as White Whales (Daughter of Fortune, The House of the Spirits, The Lottery, […]
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
A group of people are crossing the Bridge of San Luis Rey, an Incan rope bridge in Peru, when it collapses and all, tragically, plummet to their deaths. Observing this tragedy is Brother Juniper, a friar, who decides to tell the stories of those who died in this accident in order to conclusively prove that God has a divine plan. What follows in a series of vignettes into the interconnected lives of these few in early 18th century. Originally published in 1927, this novel won […]
