All books, in a sense, exist in order to bring forth pictures in the mind. But should those pictures be specifically embodied in a visual medium? When are illustrations helpful, and when are they distracting or disturbing? Is it better for readers to make their own images? Or can a good collaboration between author […]
Anne-Sophie Constant: Jean Vanier: Portrait of a Free Man (2019) When I was living in a community with adults with developmental disabilities, one of my colleagues told me he had been inspired to take up this work by the writings of Jean Vanier, founder of the international L’Arche movement. I was intrigued, because I had […]
The big news this month was that my books arrived! I have now a far reduced collection compared to what I had in the States, but it feels good to whittle down to essentials. In the summer sometimes I feel like reading mysteries, though, and I didn’t have much on hand. If I want to […]
My attention span this month is not up to long reviews, but I did read some notable books that I’d like to mention at least briefly. Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood Going in with high expectations for this generally acclaimed retelling of The Tempest, I found it disappointing. Re-setting Shakespeare’s tale of captivity, revenge, and freedom […]
Reading is one thing, but remembering is something else. I love the experience of reading while I’m in it, but sometimes I wish the results were not so ephemeral. There are so many times a title is called to mind and I think “I know I read that — but I don’t remember anything […]
Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, Part II (1615) Though I did not stick very well to my chapter-a-day intention, by reading in fits and starts I have finished Don Quixote. When I last checked in, I was in the middle of Part II; Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were being deceived by their aristocratic hosts, […]
This month I still had hardly any time to read, but I did finish one chunkster that I’ve been working on for a long time (Don Quixote), and made time for one short novel that I’ve been meaning to read forever (Hag-Seed). Alas, neither was quite as marvelous as I’d been expecting from their great […]
So, now that I’ve gotten somewhat settled in my new home, I can spare time to think about my upcoming event: Robertson Davies Reading Week! I’m thrilled to finally be giving some extra attention to one of my favorite authors, along with several blogging friends who have kindly agreed to do guest posts or to […]
It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since I joined the Classics Club, with the goal of reading 50 classics from my self-defined list in that time. Well, it’s been a wonderful part of my blogging life and I am so grateful for all the books I’ve encountered through this project. I did not […]
As I prepare to leave New England, at least for the time being, there are lots of places I still haven’t visited and would like to. So I’m making an effort to do some of these long-deferred trips, even if it means putting off some other important tasks. One of these places is Salem, Massachusetts, […]