Esther's Classic Literature Blog June 2007 Archive

In On the Beach at Night, Walt Whitman writes: "On the beach at night, Stands a child with her father, Watching the east, the autumn sky. "Up through the darkness, While ravening clouds, the burial ... Read More

A Passage to India is often considered one of the greatest works in the English literature. The novel dramatically depicts the English colonization of India, and the inevitable negative side-effects ... Read More

The Awakening is the famous (and very controversial) novel by Kate Chopin. Edna is the protagonist of the work. We see her life, her relationship with her husband and children, ... Read More

I always love a good story of manuscript recovery! According to the FBI, they recently recovered the original 1966 typewritten manuscript of Pearl S. Buck's famous novel, The Good Earth. ... Read More

Some of you have offered your suggestions for our July 2007 Book Club. The suggestions include: Death in Venice, The Iliad, Heart of Darkness, Of Mice and Men, and Lord ... Read More

Whether you're reading a novel for a literature class, or enjoying a book on the beach, characters are the vehicles that often help to drive the plot. They make you ... Read More

We still have a few days left before we start reading and discussing a book for the July Book Club. If you've never been a part of a book club, ... Read More

William Golding is probably best known for Lord of the Flies, the famous (and controversial) tale of a group of school boys stranded on a deserted island. For his books, ... Read More

Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen, first appeared on the London stage in 1891. Although not as famous as A Doll's House or Hedda Gabler, the play is known for its controversial ... Read More

Erich Maria Remarque was born on June 22, 1898. He would later be in the unique position to write his famous war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, after ... Read More

The Bell Jar is the only novel by Sylvia Plath, and it is famous not only because it offers shocking insight into her mind and art, but also because it ... Read More

Some days speed by, while others drag on and on... There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason. Perhaps it's just what's happening in life at the time.Philip Larkin ... Read More

Born on June 19, 1861, José Rizal was a famous Filipino hero. He also wrote poetry, novels, and essays--famous for Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Two of his works ... Read More

Samuel Butler died on June 18, 1902. He wrote The Way of All Flesh (1874), Life and Habit (1878), Evolution, Old and New (1879). Read more about the life and ... Read More

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) arrived in New York harbor on June 17, 1885. The great lady of liberty was a gift to the U.S. from France. ... Read More

Today is June 16, the day on which James Joyce had his first date with Nora Barnacle, who would later become his wife. June 16th is also the day on ... Read More

The Purloined Letter is one of the most famous short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. This detective story is the final of three short stories featuring Detective Auguste Dupin, a ... Read More

To Kill a Mockingbird (buy direct) is a novel by Harper Lee. The book depicts the experiences of a young girl, Scout, and her family in a Southern town. To ... Read More

Sarah Kinson, for The Guardian, recently conducted an interview with Tim Lott. When asked whether he found writing "easy," his reply was: "I'm afraid I'm in agreement with Lionel Shriver--that ... Read More

It may seem that buying a book for your father is the easiest gift, but which book do you pick? What would he enjoy? And what would he really read? ... Read More

Summer is a great time to start a reading journal. You can start keeping track of the books you're reading, why you chose the book, what you thought of it, ... Read More

I'm always on the look-out for new tools, gadgets and gizmos. There's always something interesting coming out, and you'd be surprised by how many of the fun, new tools could ... Read More

Death of a Salesman is the everyman drama about an American failure, but the work was an instant success when it was first staged. The play is an attack on ... Read More

Who would buy a house with a thriving book club attached? Probably only someone who enjoys reading--even if it is a really cool house... A Dorset house is up for sell--with ... Read More

When you think about a play, you probably think about going to watch the drama being acted out upon the stage, but plays were originally written down by the playwright. ... Read More

Hedda Gabler is memorable tragedy. When I first saw a production of this drama, it was an amazing experience--Ibsen at his best. When Oscar Wilde first saw Hedda Gabler in ... Read More

Here's "The Old Man Dreams," by Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Oh for one hour of youthful joy! Give back my twentieth spring! I'd rather laugh, a bright-haired boy, Than reign, a gray-beard king. "Off with the ... Read More

As I Lay Dying is the fictional chronicle of Addie Bundren's death. The family undertakes a journey to bury her body. The novel is narrated with the shifting viewpoints of ... Read More

Anne of Green Gables is a novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The story centers around Anne Shirley, a red-head orphan, with a wild imagination and a talent for getting into ... Read More

The Waves is a novel by Virginia Woolf. The book is a narrative in Woolf's stream-of-consciousness style (first published in 1931). Here, Woolf gives into experimentation, as the six friends ... Read More

It's a great time to start your reading schedule for summer! Here's a gallery of books to get you off to a great start with your reading this summer. You'll ... Read More