Esther's Classic Literature Blog

A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man is one of those books that's often read as an introduction to the world of James Joyce, or even as part ... Read More

I've often dreamed of owning my own bookstore--one packed with old and new books. And, there might even be a cafe or a pub attached (or next door)--where readers and ... Read More

Walden Pond is one of the places in my literary imagination that I want to see--to touch the water, take in the smells, and experience the place. I know it ... Read More

I awoke this morning to a light covering of snow on the ground. It's the 29th, and January is coming to an end. Days that started out with celebrations of ... Read More

From Laurie Viera Rigler, the author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict (http://janeaustenaddict.com.) It was only about six years ago when I looked at pictures of empire-gowned members of the ... Read More

Colette was born Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, but she always wrote under the name "Colette." The date of her birth was January 28, 1873. Colette was a French writer, who is perhaps ... Read More

When was the book published? Who are the main characters? Who wrote the novel? Test your knowledge about one of the greatest novels of that period. Take the Pride and Prejudice ... Read More

Did you know that Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759? He is one of the most famous Scottish poets in literary history. His first collection of poetry was ... Read More

Saul Bellow is famous as an American writer of some of the greatest classics of the 20th century. In her review, Patty Inglish writes: "Saul Bellow is one of the ... Read More

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the famous Arthurian tale about Sir Gawain and his encounter with the Green Knight. The work was written around the 14th century by ... Read More

George Gordon Noel Byron, 6th Baron Byron (Lord Byron) could be considered one of the most controversial English Romantic poets. Byron was born on January 22, 1788, in London. Poverty ... Read More

From Laurie Viera Rigler, the author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict (http://janeaustenaddict.com.) Discuss Mansfield Park in your book club, and your friends, like most readers, will tend to differ ... Read More

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only ... Read More

Handwriting is writing done by hand. Those scrawls and marks upon the page are different for each person, and there are those who say that it says something about the ... Read More

It's the day on which Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809. On this day, a mysterious stranger visits the grave of Edgar Allan Poe on the 19th of ... Read More

In this book, Lauren Henderson tiptoes through the minefields of love and relationships with some of Jane Austen's most vivacious and unforgettable characters. Read what to do (and not to ... Read More

Sexy, jazzy, and more than just a little bit troubled--women like Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorthy Parker, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Edna Ferber made their marks on the world of literature ... Read More

From Laurie Viera Rigler, the author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict (http://janeaustenaddict.com.) "The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be ... Read More

Disasters take place around the world, and we don't always know about the devastation under sometime after much of the death and suffering has already taken place. Read more about ... Read More

"Oscar Wilde's only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) is a classic instance of the aestheticism of the late 19th century's English literature," as Ernest Dempsey writes in his ... Read More

On January 12, 1876, Jack London was born in San Francisco. He became one of the most famous American novels and short story writers. Read on: Jack London Books Jack London Collections Adventure ... Read More

Alan Paton was a South African author, who is famous for Cry, the Beloved Country (1948). Paton was born on January 11, 1903. As a child, he read Charles Dickens, ... Read More

Moll Flanders, by Daniel Defoe, was first published in 1722. A woman named Elizabeth Atkins may have been the inspiration for the character of Moll Flanders.Daniel Defoe writes: "The world ... Read More

Wuthering Heights is a Gothic romance, by Emily Bronte. In the novel, do you know who says: "he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his ... Read More

From Laurie Viera Rigler, the author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict (http://janeaustenaddict.com.)Bringing in a New Year is all about second chances. This year, we vow, we will do ... Read More

Despite your best efforts, it's sometimes difficult to stick with your plan to finish that list of books. Other projects get in the way. You may find yourself overwhelmed by ... Read More

"One to grow on" is sometimes associated with a birthday, when you put an extra candle on the cake (to give you one to grow on, for the coming year). ... Read More

"In The Metamorphosis, Kafka warns that capitalism harbors inevitable changes that will result ultimately in loneliness and horror. He does so with a prophecy that women will replace men in ... Read More

On January 4, 1785, Jacob Grimm was born in Hanau, Germany. He and his brother, Wilhelm Grimm, became well-known for their Grimm's Fairy Tales. Read the famous fairy tales, which ... Read More

J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He became well-known for The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and other works. He was part of a ... Read More

Despite your best efforts, it's sometimes difficult to stick with your plan to finish that list of books. Other projects get in the way. You may find yourself overwhelmed by ... Read More

It's the first day of the year, a time when we remember the year that's past, make resolutions, plan for the year ahead, and just have fun! Writers have said ... Read More