Isn’t it interesting that in pop culture, we think we know icons like Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. We know their basic story but until we read the books that made these characters famous, and then we realise that we have missed so much of the concepts and story.

The debut single from UK Goth greats; The Cure was Killing An Arab. Robert Smith calls the song a “short poetic attempt at condensing my impression of the key moments in L’Étranger (The Stranger) by Albert Camus”. The song tells the story of the scene on the beach where the protagonist Meursault shots the Arab Continue reading →

On one hand The Catcher In The Rye was an impressive insight of teenage life. I identified with many of those feelings when I was in high school. I remember feeling alone, annoyed all the time and never feeling like doing anything. In this aspect J. D. Salinger was a master at capturing the feelings Continue reading →

Wuthering Heights must be one of the first novels where the protagonists can be considered antagonists or anti-heroes. It’s a story of love turning into bitter hatred. The orphan Heathcliff and Catherine were in love but when Catherine’s parents both die, Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights. A few years later Catherine married Edgar and Continue reading →

English Jockey turned Crime Writer Dick Francis died of natural causes this past Sunday at age 89. Dick Francis has left us with over 40 international bestsellers including Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award (for Best Novel) winners Forfeit, Whip Hand & Come To Grief. The Britain Crime Writers Association awarded him its Gold Dagger Continue reading →

J. D. Salinger died of natural causes on January 27, 2010 at the age of 91. Salinger was best known for his book The Catcher in the Rye a book known for its use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst. It dealt with complex issues of identity, belonging, connection, and alienation. Between Continue reading →

The more I read the more I discover, but also the more I find that I need to read.  I keep finding more and more books that I really want to read. Like the ‘1001 Books to read before you die’ I want to read all of them. I never use to be a read Continue reading →

Because this book is known as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language, I thought I would explore the book a little more. No, I have not and probably never will read Finnegans Wake by James Joyce (Ok, I lie, I would probably try to read it, if my passion Continue reading →

I found this book recently called “Foucault’s Pendulum” (still haven’t read it) but I’m in love with the concept. Reminds me of the John Cage Quote “Finnegans Wake is one of the books I’ve which always loved, but never read” (sorry for the tangent, just adding that quote to remind me to write about both Continue reading →

Aldous Huxley got it right when he wrote Brave New World, he wrote about a society were everyone lived for themselves, only considered about the pleasure they would receive out of life. This was written as a Utopian society but it does seem to reflect our society as well. The novel anticipates developments in reproductive Continue reading →