Ernest Hemingway‘s The Sun Also Rises is one of his most well-known and well-loved novels. Published in 1926, it is said to depict the life, ideals, and frustrations of the “Lost Generation,” comprising intellectual young men and women enlightened during the years after World War I. Hemingway was one of the “founding” members of the…
The Pilgrimage (O Diario Un Mago), which is Paulo Coelho‘s first official novel published in 1987, describes his personal journey along the El Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. James. In 1986, after failing his spiritual initiation as a Master of the Order of Regnus Agnus Mundi (RAM), Coelho loses confidence in himself and starts…
February was a good month for book shopping; I bought 13 books, 3 of which I already read. The Temple of the Golden Pavilion – Yoshio Mishima Soul Mountain – Gao Xingjian The Children’s Book – A.S. Byatt Death with Interruptions – Jose Saramago The Known World – Edward P. Jones Death and the Flower…
When Rosecrans Baldwin was offered an advertising job in Paris by a friend, he jumped at the chance and boarded the next flight to France. Nevermind that he knew next to nothing about advertising, and nevermind that he hardly spoke French. It’s Paris!! That’s probably how many Francophiles would react if offered to live and…
The Comfort of Strangers (1981) is a short novel by Ian McEwan about a couple on vacation in an unnamed city which fits the description of Venice, Italy. Mary and Colin are neither married, nor living together, but have known each other for some time, and are in a loving but strained relationship. During their vacation,…
First of all, let me start by saying that this is my 100th book review and 200th post in general (what?! I have an extra 100 posts on here that aren’t about books?!?)! I never thought I’d make it this far. To celebrate, (coincidentally) here’s a review of a book about happiness. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping…
After reading a heavy-hitting novel like The Orphan Master’s Son, Tarquin Hall’s light and fun novel, The Case of the Missing Servant, is just what I was looking for. The Case of the Missing Servant (2009) is the first book in a series starring Vish Puri, India’s “most private investigator.” The 51-year-old, rotund, Safari-suit-and-Sandown-hat-wearing, mustachioed…
Shangri-La is a mythical, lush, temperate valley hidden amidst a frozen mountain range somewhere in Tibet. Its people, an easy-going group governed by a lamasery, believe that good is achieved by doing things in moderation. This famous fabled heaven-on-earth is the creation of British writer, James Hilton, in his 1933 novel, Lost Horizon. In Lost…
Books I bought in January – some brand new, some second-hand: 1. The Art of Fielding (Chad Harbach) – I have an idea that this is a book about sports, baseball in particular, so I never really paid much attention to it. However, I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, so there must…
You know what that means? It’s time to watch Love Actually again! Also, you know it’s that time of the year again when it starts snowing on wordpress. It’s actually something I look forward to. If I can’t have a white Christmas in real life, at least I can have one in my blog! The…
The Misanthropologist 