Esther's Classic Literature Blog August 2005 Archive

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley was born in London on August 30, 1797. Her parents were William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, who died days after she gave birth to Mary. She ... Read More

This morning, on NPR, Rick Moody said: "I believe in the absolute and unlimited liberty of reading. I believe in wandering through the stacks and picking out the first thing ... Read More

With only a few days left until September, we've got a tie for the September Book Club Selection. So, now, this run-off vote is between J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in ... Read More

According to Vanessa Thorpe, in an article for The Guardian, "A code-breaking book which aims to change the image of William Shakespeare and reveal him as a subversive who embedded ... Read More

According to BBC News, "Sunset Song" has been chosen as the "Best Scottish Book of All Time." The novel is the first work in a trilogy by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. ... Read More

Do you ever have those days when you just want to pick up something witty and full of humor? Perhaps you want to forget about your troubles, or just take ... Read More

Collecting books can be a lot of fun, but if you're serious about it, you've got to do your homework. Even the most casual collector can learn a great deal ... Read More

Jane Eyre is still a great favorite to readers around the world. That's why it's interesting to note that on August 24, 1847, Charlotte Bronte sent off her famous work ... Read More

A new "on-line co-operative library," My Book Your Book has been launched in the UK, but it's only available to residents of the UK. Upon joining, the subscriber submits a ... Read More

It's late! You've just finished that book you've been reading, but you're not ready to go to bed. What do you do? Well, if you're in France, you can now visit ... Read More

"Carmine, A Little More Red" is a very entertaining retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood," according to Liz Kennedy. When was the last time you read your fairy tales? One ... Read More

What happened to Atlantis, that lost civilization that vanished without a trace? Atlantis has captured our imaginations; and poets, writers, philosophers, and dreamers continue delve into the secrets of that ... Read More

In this slim volume, Vikram Seth offers translations for three eighth-century Chinese poets: Wang Wei, Li Bai (or Li Po), and Du Fu (or Tu Fu). Seth's aim in creating ... Read More

According to a recent article from BBC News, one in four adults don't read. While there are many reasons that people give for not reading, Martha Buckley quotes Julia Strong, ... Read More

How much would you pay to name a character in one of the greatest works of literature? What about naming one of Austen's characters? Or what about a character from ... Read More

The story of Beowulf and his monsters is a long and complicated record of terror, blood, glory, and death. The setting draws us to a place and time that's foreign ... Read More

A book club is a great place for you to meet other people who share your interest in books. But, how do you start a book club? And, what books ... Read More

According to BBC News, more than 500 authors are taking part in 650 events at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival. Director Catherine Lockerbie told the BBC: "Edinburgh is now ... Read More

More than 700 delegates from around the world have gathered at Aston University for Tolkien 2005, according to The Guardian. The events include a lecture from Professor Tom Shippey, hobbit ... Read More

Robert Southey (1774-1843) was born on August 12, 1774. He was friends with Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Williamwordsworth. Southey married Edith Fricker, who was the sister of Sara Fricker (who ... Read More

According to BBC News, a collection of nearly 50 letters by T.S. Eliot will be sold at Bonhams auction house on September 20, 2005. Eliot was known as a ... Read More

Virginia (born Adeline Virginia Stephen) married Leonard Woolf on August 10, 1912. She had met Leonard in 1899, along with Clive Bell and Lytton Strachey. They would be known as ... Read More

Do you remember all of those first days of school? Every year, I'd get that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then, after a few days, the school ... Read More

Plagiarization has made the news in a big way with the recent allegations against Dan Brown, from Lewis Perdue. According to BBC News, "Dan Brown, best-selling author of 'The Da ... Read More

In an article for The Guardian, Polly Vernon discusses whether Bridget Jones is "the voice of free and easy singletons." Helen Fielding is resurrecting the character in a newspaper column, ... Read More

Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) was born on August 6, 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England. Tennyson succeeded William Wordsworth as Poet Laureate, and he is considered one of the most representative English ... Read More

Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a famous French writer, who was born on August 5, 1850. He was a French writer of naturalism. With his photographic memory, he was able ... Read More

Percy Bysshe Shelley was born on August 4, 1792. Shelley was a Romantic poets, famous for his radical ideas, for his odes, and for Adonais to John Keats. He died ... Read More

Charles Dickens drew from an early life of poverty, loneliness and exile to create the magic in his fiction. The last installment of "Great Expectations" appeared on August 3, 1861. ... Read More

On August 2, 1869, George Eliot began to write "Middlemarch," which would become one of her most beloved works. Her name was Mary Ann Evans, but she used the pen ... Read More

Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819. He is famous as the author of "Moby Dick" (1851). Read more about the works of Herman Melville: Bartleby, the Scrivener - Herman ... Read More