Bought this from Paris, the Gallery of Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy section of the museum of natural history. Great pictures of different col...moreBought this from Paris, the Gallery of Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy section of the museum of natural history. Great pictures of different collections and a bit of history to go along with. Liked the museum very much, even though I felt slightly disgusted for instance by the pickled mouse.(less)
The Promised World of Progression: Belief in Progression in World Expositions 1851-1915 General History entrance exam Overall the subject was pretty int...moreThe Promised World of Progression: Belief in Progression in World Expositions 1851-1915 General History entrance exam Overall the subject was pretty interesting even though there were some confusing sentences when the topic got carried away to something that had nothing to do with the original theme. Left an aftertaste that the research hadn't really been polished enough.(less)
The Return of Stories: Essays About Contemporary French Literature Comparative Literature entrance exam Just like the authors promised. An easy read and...moreThe Return of Stories: Essays About Contemporary French Literature Comparative Literature entrance exam Just like the authors promised. An easy read and perfect for also not so academic people. Introduces the most important contemporary French authors and it managed to light a spark in me that perhaps I should try at least some of these at some point.(less)
Great introduction to the artist's turning points in life and greatest works. Some black & white photos are also added. In the beginning of every...moreGreat introduction to the artist's turning points in life and greatest works. Some black & white photos are also added. In the beginning of every chapter there is a timeline which includes world history events and events in the artist's life. The book is good for finding the major features and most important infuences in art.(less)
You're always broke, but it's ok because you can always sell poetry to strangers and dumb tourists, and love cannot be taken away. Dirty and long-hair...moreYou're always broke, but it's ok because you can always sell poetry to strangers and dumb tourists, and love cannot be taken away. Dirty and long-haired existentialists are disapproved for their loitering. Soft furred cats everywhere, pet guinea pigs being carried around the town. Smoky cafés, fishing by the Seine with a bottle of wine.
The author (daughter of Mika Waltari) herself studied in Paris, and utilised those experiences in writing her first novel. There are charming moments of the heart of bustling Paris, its peculiar population, and people who are able to enjoy life's little things. To have a picnic with only one can of sardines if they feel like it, or hitchhike to the countryside on a hot summer day. The joy of being alive, and for that this is the perfect summer book.(less)
Great introduction to the artist's turning points in life and greatest works. Some black & white photos are also added. In the beginning of every...moreGreat introduction to the artist's turning points in life and greatest works. Some black & white photos are also added. In the beginning of every chapter there is a timeline which includes world history events and events in the artist's life. The book is good for finding the major features and most important infuences in art.(less)
Great introduction to the artist's turning points in life and greatest works. Some black & white photos are also added. In the beginning of every...moreGreat introduction to the artist's turning points in life and greatest works. Some black & white photos are also added. In the beginning of every chapter there is a timeline which includes world history events and events in the artist's life. The book is good for finding the major features and most important infuences in art.(less)
Oh boy, this woman has a somewhat crazy imagination. It's like anything can emerge from her brain. There were a few weaker stories (mostly short snipp...moreOh boy, this woman has a somewhat crazy imagination. It's like anything can emerge from her brain. There were a few weaker stories (mostly short snippets and sci-fi), but the stronger ones were rich in language and absolutely beautiful story-wise. If you like fairy tales, I think the last one (White as Sin, Now) is especially going to be to your liking, since it combines a couple of them in quite a clever way.
Overall the topics were just what I'm interested in: vampires, werewolves, mythology etc. but with such twists I have never read before. Weird and sometimes confusing stories with a little bit of fairy tale magic on top. Unfortunately I couldn't give this a full five stars, because the weaker stories were really boring and quite pointless. One of them had mostly just some philosophical babbling that felt detached from the story itself.
Favourites: The Gorgon, Elle est trois (La Mort), Nicholas, Red as Blood and Bite Me Not or Fleur de Fur(less)
What I managed to rip from these letters was that, despite they were well written, Abelard was self-centered, worried about his reputation, arrogant,...moreWhat I managed to rip from these letters was that, despite they were well written, Abelard was self-centered, worried about his reputation, arrogant, eager to gather pity from others and lacked the sense of responsibility. Heloise was asking him to write more and express his kindness and love to her after being put into a convent by him etc. So... I didn't really see that "true love" thing going on for even half the time I was reading.(less)
Basically a heap of indifferent conversations and indifferent characters. I can imagine this as a play a lot better because frankly Murger does not ha...moreBasically a heap of indifferent conversations and indifferent characters. I can imagine this as a play a lot better because frankly Murger does not have the literary skills to write a novel. Sentences after another didn't make an interesting insight to a bohemian life in 19th century Paris but rather snooze of a collection of boring chapters.(less)
I originally found this from the library because it includes Machen's The Great God Pan, which is on my to read -list. It's great though that I also g...moreI originally found this from the library because it includes Machen's The Great God Pan, which is on my to read -list. It's great though that I also get to read other gothic tales, too. Perfect Christmas read in my opinion (alongside Dickens, of course). There's usually two words anyway that make me want to read the book immediately: Victorian and gothic. Not sure about late Victorian though.
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Ok, I somehow got confused with the term late Victorian. Of course I've read stuff related to this area of literary history (Dracula, Picture of Dorian Gray etc.) and have loved almost every single one of them. I just didn't realise that they can be classified as something so particular. This collection is brilliant, including well-known authors and authors who at least I have never heard about. Among the weakest stories was Dionea, it was excruciatingly boring and uninteresting. Among the best was Lot No. 249, The Dâk Bungalow at Dakor and Pallinghurst Barrow.
All those I liked were simple and traditional ghost stories with a creepy atmosphere. By outlining the basic themes of the Gothic revival, the introduction made me understand that the themes in particular are the reason why I love this branch of literature. Decadence, imperialism, Spiritualism, fascination with ancient Egypt, naturalizing the supernatural (Frankenstein), supernatural creatures (mummies, ghosts, vampires, monsters), emergence of new sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology), theory of degeneration (explaining the animalism of the criminal classes, female hysterics and the insane, and the new art forms like Impressionism, Symbolism and Naturalism), and the overall atmosphere of dark opium and absinthe-fumed brothels with lace curtains.
Now the only thing left for me to do, is to write down the select bibliography and all the authors that I'm interested in reading more from. That should grow my to read -list relatively well. Maybe too well...(less)
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