The Waves published in 1931 is Virginia Woolf’s “play-poem” as she called it; a colloquy of six voices, experimenting through the lives of Bernard, Jinny, Louis, Neville, Rhoda and Susan as they evolve, grow and debate with their identities, thoughts and attempts to say “I am this, I am that”. The Waves represents, in a career filled with …
Satire, “the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.” Satire has been used throughout history to express opinions and its significance is vast in providing context for many controversies and important moments in society. The Punch Magazine was one such …
“...when pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure.” Volume II, Chapter VIII Austen has often been the source of profound morals which have been weaved seamlessly into her characters and plot lines and Persuasion is no exception. Let’s begin by looking at the title, often overlooked when you start a novel – but a …
This is my recent essay comparing John Webster's, 'The Duchess of Malfi' and a selection of Samuel Coleridge's poetry, an interesting comparison nevertheless; but it was a part of my A level English course (OCR exam board, mark 30/30). Both Webster and Coleridge explore the conflict between order and chaos via the symbolism of religion, …
Continue reading ‘Literature explores the conflict between order and chaos’
“The book is better than the movie”. For decades, readers have reiterated the same phrase when new films are released, “the book is better than the film” the line became a critical reflex in reaction to one mediocre screen version after the other. Arguably movies such as the ‘The Hunger Games’ or the ‘Golden compass’ …
Continue reading How literature is vital for the Silver Screen
10 books to relax and fall in love with over the summer... Me Before You: the trilogy by JoJo Moyes The Trilogy follows the story of Louisa Clark through love, heartbreak, and life-changing decisions as she discovers who she really is. Louisa is an ordinary girl living a small village with her close family and …
SIMON NIXON; THE TIMES AND JOURNALISM IN THE 21STCENTURY On Tuesday afternoon a group of students and I met with Simon Nixon, Chief Leader Writer of The Times; where Simon discussed his career and the role/nature of journalism. Simon is also Chief European Commentator of the Wall Street Journal. He joined the WSJ in 2008 and was …
Saying “I don’t like poetry” is like saying “I don’t like books” – there are so many different types of poems, in so many different styles and forms, that it’s virtually impossible to group them into a single category. In an ode to the odes, poetry critic Stephen Burt demonstrates through lyrical explication that the practice of poetry …
Shakespeare died more than 400 years ago & has written 37 plays and 154 sonnets. But why do we still study Shakespeare after all this time? When the First Folio of Shakespeare’s work was published in 1623 – fellow writers concluded that Shakespeare was ‘not of an age, but for all time’. As Bruce Smith, …
The saying "be careful what you wish for" genuinely applies to Wilde's novel, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' in a profound way. When the young Victorian protagonist Dorian Gray is influenced by Lord Henry Wotton’s warning that he only has “a few years in which to live really, perfectly, and fully”. Due to the transiency …
Continue reading To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
I first came across Matt Haig through his book: Reasons to stay alive. The book provides a insight into Haig's journey with depression and anxiety which he suffered between the ages of 24 and 32. Reasons… is not really a self-help book but more an intensely individual, creative response to a period of profound crisis. How to …
