The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
If you like scary stories, then this book is for you; for me, absolutely not. Why oh why would I give this very well written famous story one star?…
Classics
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
I’m reading Moby Dick (the Collector’s Library Edition) as part of a personal challenge to read several books that are considered “classics”. I’ve been delighted and surprised at the contents of the book. I’m only 20% in. At first I tried listening to the audiobook version but the text was too dense for me to grasp the detail, so I bought a beautiful printed version and settled down to read at least one chapter a day. Herman Melville’s words reflect a philosophy of tolerance of social differences that rings true for today. So wise! I find myself wanting to lift text from it and paste it to Facebook and say, hey everyone, read this, this was written in 1851, and they were having the same social problems related to cultural differences we have today.…
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
This book is the first Graham Greene book I’ve read And finished. I found it intriguing. It’s quite different to anything I’ve ever read before. Colin Firth’s narration made it very accessible. I think I was able to understand the story more through listening to Mr Firth’s interpretation than I would have, if I’d read the printed word.
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All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West
The words that came to mind while listening to this audiobook were: wonderful and beautiful. Why wonderful? Why beautiful? Let me explain ……
Reading Hemingway using five magic keys
For me, the world of classic literature is like an old locked cupboard in the attic, I’m keen to break it open to see what’s inside. I’ve heard there’s some wonderful experiences waiting for me if I could just find the key. Recently I did just that, I found a key, well five actually and accessed a classic written by Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises. I heard a voice from the The Jazz Age for the first time.…
Australian Classics by Jane Gleeson-White
A bookish observation: There’s always a sense of warmth when reflecting on a book just read and enjoyed. That’s how I feel today about Jane Gleeson-White’s well written book “Australian Classics”. I found the book a pleasure to read. Each chapter was dedicated to a particular book and was a comfortable length explaining the what, how and why, of the chosen “Australian Classic” followed by the author’s story, some dazzling, others sad.…