Esther's Classic Literature Blog October 2003 Archive

Vampires have visited our nightmares, and lived in the darkest of our horror tales, but where does the literary history of these tales begin? In "Three Vampire Tales," a new ... Read More

Pulitzer-Prize winning biographer Kenneth Silverman reflects on the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe, with many of the contradictions and travesties that make up this illusive and often controversial ... Read More

Alexander Pope is reknowned as a poet, crtic, and essayist. He was a self-taught scholar and satirist. Among his most well-known works is "The Rape of the Lock" (1712-1714), and ... Read More

The novels in this newest volume of collected works begin to explore new frontiers in John Steinbeck's writing, as he takes us to Europe, to Mexico, and then back home ... Read More

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) is one of the most famous writers in American literature. Twain went to work in 1847 when his father died. He started off as an ... Read More

Forget everything you ever thought you knew about fairy tales, and "Little Red Riding Hood." In this book, Catherine Orenstein explores the history of the fairy tale, from the French ... Read More

Drawing from a background in comparative literature and mythology, Anne Petty studies Tolkien's major works: "The Hobbit," "The Lord of the Rings," and "The Silmarillion," along with short stories, academic ... Read More

In "Death Be Not Proud," John Gunther explores the process of death: discovery, fighting, living on, and then dying. The process becomes just a little bit easier, as humor, human ... Read More

In recent years, Jane Austen's works have been converted to music and book adaptations, along with television, film, and stage productions. In this volume of essays, Linda Troot and Sayre ... Read More

Alexander Pope is reknowned as a poet, crtic, and essayist. He was a self-taught scholar and satirist. Among his most well-known works is "The Rape of the Lock" (1712-1714), and ... Read More

In "Discovery of Atlantis," Robert Sarmast discusses the origins of the Atlantis legend, starting with the first written records by Plato more than 2,000 years ago. He takes a look ... Read More

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) is one of the most famous writers in American literature. Twain went to work in 1847 when his father died. He started off as an ... Read More

In his "Autobiography," Mark Twain helps us to imagine what his childhood was like: the embarrassments, the pranks, and the sibling rivalry... But, as he says, "a boy's life is ... Read More

Robert Browning is one of the famous poets of the 19th century (Victorian period). He's particularly well-known for his early monologue, "My Last Duchess." By the time Browning was 14, ... Read More

Robert Browning is one of the famous poets of the 19th century (Victorian period). He's particularly well-known for his early monologue, "My Last Duchess." "My Last Duchess" is a great example ... Read More

In this mythic biography, Stephen Knight traces the origins of the legend, providing invaluable insights into why Robin Hood is still such an essential and evolving legend in our culture ... Read More

Six manuscripts have surfaced from the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. According to a report from BBC News, the manuscripts were sold today by Christie's in London. Although the ... Read More

As one of the latest additions to the American writers series, Library of America has published "Travel Books and Other Writings: 1916-1941," by John Dos Passos. As the publisher explains, ... Read More

Imagine discovering an unknown poem by a great poet like Emily Dickinson. It may shed new light on her life and works! Who would want to think that such a ... Read More

"The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde" offers a look at some of the most dramatic moments in Oscar Wilde's life, but the records for those trials have remained unpublished since ... Read More

In his new book, Thomas Foster opens up a new world of literature, drawing from some of the world's greatest classics to explore what literature is, what it means to ... Read More

"The Skin of Our Teeth," by Thornton Wilder, was published in 1943 to critical and controversial acclaim. The play is a hilarious romp through human experience, taking in many of ... Read More

Robert Browning is one of the famous poets of the 19th century (Victorian period). He's particularly well-known for his early monologue, "My Last Duchess." By the time Browning was 14, ... Read More

In his newest biography, award-winning Martin Gottfried explores the life and works of Arthur Miller, a controversial figure in American theater. With more than 400 books, articles and theses written ... Read More

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) is one of the most famous writers in American literature. Twain went to work in 1847 when his father died. He started off as an ... Read More

Drawing from a background in comparative literature and mythology, Anne Petty studies Tolkien's major works: "The Hobbit," "The Lord of the Rings," and "The Silmarillion," along with short stories, academic ... Read More

In recent years, Jane Austen's works have been converted to music and book adaptations, along with television, film, and stage productions. In this volume of essays, Linda Troot and Sayre ... Read More

In "Death Be Not Proud," John Gunther explores the process of death: discovery, fighting, living on, and then dying. The process becomes just a little bit easier, as humor, human ... Read More

Robert Browning is one of the famous poets of the 19th century (Victorian period). He's particularly well-known for his early monologue, "My Last Duchess." "My Last Duchess" is a great example ... Read More

In his "Autobiography," Mark Twain helps us to imagine what his childhood was like: the embarrassments, the pranks, and the sibling rivalry... But, as he says, "a boy's life is ... Read More

As one of the latest additions to the American writers series, Library of America has published "Travel Books and Other Writings: 1916-1941," by John Dos Passos. As the publisher explains, ... Read More

In "What Happens in Literature," Edward W. Rosenheim offers a brief discussion of the basics of literature, including poems, novels and plays. He argues that the main focus of reading ... Read More

The legend of Robin Hood has captured our imaginations for more than 500 years. He's that trickster-like character, a roving outlaw and nobleman who robs from the rich, gives to ... Read More

The National Book Festival, hosted by First Lady Laura Bush, will take place on October 4, 2003. This is the third year for the National Book Festival on the National ... Read More

Playing the literary detective, Zacks takes us through the sordid tale. We know that "Over the centuries, novelists, relentless treasure hunters, and even historians have stoked [Captain Kidd's] pirate legend." ... Read More