Classic Literature January 2012 Archive

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

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

I remember when I first read The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka. I'd first read The Hunger Artist--one of Kafka's popularly anthologized short stories. Both works offer different views of ... Read More

Do you remember the first novel you picked up? Was it for school, or did you take it off a shelf somewhere and start to fumble through the words? What ... 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

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

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

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is famous for "I have a dream..." It's a speech full of hope for the future (a dream that our children will live in harmony, ... Read More

A Little Princess is usually considered a children's book--often read by girls. But, it's one of those rags-to-riches, Cinderella stories that reminds us how quickly life can change--good or bad. ... Read More

I sometimes think I could imagine a life at Walden Pond--just staying there on the land in a little cabin. Ice, snow and the call of all that resides there--beautiful! By ... Read More

Today, we celebrate (and remember) the life and works of an important 20th-century South-African writer: Alan Paton. Perhaps, you've already read Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), or you know the ... Read More

As we venture into 2012, why not look at some of the fun writers in literature? They're all over, and they have such fascinating stories to tell (in their lives ... 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

Zora Neale Hurston is perhaps most famous for her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), but she also wrote Jonah's Gourd Vine (1934), Mules and Men (1935), and Tell ... 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

A hobby is an activity or interest. You pursue a hobby in addition to your job, or regular activities in life, but you derive pleasure from your hobbies. Reading and ... Read More

Certain books are great introductions to the year--they offer a great starting point (inspiration for reading/enjoying literature for the rest of the year. A Portrait of an Artist as a ... Read More

It's the dawning of a whole near year--full of promise and resolution. But, for readers (and writers), we may have a sense of anticipation (quite apart from other "regular" moments). ... Read More

It's 2012, and it couldn't have happened soon enough. In literature (and in life), 2011 was like most others--with ups and down, good and bad moments and memories. I hope ... Read More