I have maintained a longtime appreciation for historical fiction novels, particularly those which capture characters’ evolving lives against the backdrop of historically significant events. While my mom recommended this coming-of-age story to me a long time ago (exclaiming in the middle of a thrift store that she had to buy me my own copy), it took me a couple of years to begin working my way through all 657 pages of it.… Continue reading
Tag: novel
In Jane Austen’s first published novel, two sisters with very different temperaments experience similar situations: powerful romances followed by devastating heartbreak. The reserved Elinor, whose sense bars her from outwardly expressing her desires, and the passionate Marianne, whose sensibility drives her to wear her heart on the sleeve of her gown, respond to challenges and navigate the nuances of relationships quite dissimilarly, prompting a fascinating exploration of the ways in which a person’s personality shapes their success and social outcomes.… Continue reading
In the medieval city of Hagenburg, Germany, the ruling class of Bishops and clerics unearths a plan to build an enormous Cathedral unlike any in the region. Lofty and awe-inspiring, the Cathedral will rise above the city as a testament to the glory of God and the might of the noble men who sponsor it.… Continue reading
After a long break from Jane Austen literature, I reentered British high society by diving into one of her under-appreciated and more controversial novels: Mansfield Park.
As a young girl from a poor family, Fanny Price is sent to live on the large estate belonging to her Aunt and Uncle Bertram.… Continue reading
In his genre-bending novel Appleseed, Matt Bell offers an ambitious take on the horror of a climate doomed past the point of saving. As he lays out three storylines that transcend the traditionally distinct categorizations of fantasy, fable, sci-fi, and climate fiction, readers are invited into a world whose slow destruction by forces of human greed and exploitation is painfully familiar.… Continue reading
