#classic authors

[workingonit-currently]

This came from me asking, "What is Emily Dickinson" as I forgot the word for recluse.

[0bsessiv3s0ul]

It is is better to know one book intimately than a hundred superficially.

-Donna Tartt

[hornyforpoetry]

The Five Stages of Reading Albert Camus

 1. The Discovery – ”The Stranger” (1942)

 „The Stranger” is unquestionably the best choice for anyone who wants to get to know Albert Camus. It's so simple that it fools you at first. You think it's going to be an easy read, but when you finish the book and put it down, you don't even know your name or if it even matters to have a name. It will probably keep your mind busy for months and make you think about the true meaning of life. You will most likely never be the same person again.

 2. Falling in Love – ”Betwixt and Between” (1937) // ”The Fall” (1956) // ”Exile and the Kingdom” (1957)

After "The Stranger" has had time to settle and stick in your mind (a process that takes about six months to a year), it's time to explore other writing. Camus doesn't use the same language in every book, so it's important to be careful what you choose to read after. The best options to fall irrevocably in love with this French philosopher are ”Betwixt and Between”, which is his very first published book, ”The Fall”, which offers a very interesting narrative perspective, or ”Exile and the Kingdom”, his only collection of short stories. After going through these, your heart will be caught in the nets of love for Camus.

 3. The Surprise – ”The Plague” (1947) // ”A Happy Death” (written 1936–38, published 1971) // ”Summer” (1954) // ”Nuptials” (1938)

After the reader has gone through the above books, he will have the impression that he knows Camus. Now is the time for him to have the surprise of his life. Camus managed the feat of not giving the audience the same thing twice. That is why each of his writings is unique. Some are easier to read and digest, some are not. At this stage, it is time to get acquainted with its more difficult side. "The Plague" is a story that shakes you to the core and is difficult for even the best readers to get through. ”The Happy Death” should never have seen the light of day, being the first version of what we now know as The Stranger. "Summer" and "Nuptials" are dubbed essays and are similar in format to ”Betwixt and Between”, but here Camus approaches a completely new language, so poetic and refined that it instantly wins you over. Only after the reader goes through these books can he say that he understands a part of Camus.

 4. Not just a writer – ”The Myth of Sisyphus” (1942) // „The Rebel” (1951) // Theatre Plays // Journalism Articles

 Camus was not only a great French writer. He was also a philosopher (though he never called himself that), a journalist and a playwright. If you are interested in fully understanding Camus, you must also understand his writings in other fields. "The Myth of Sisyphus" is the essay that formed the basis of the formation of a new philosophical current called absurdism. "The Rebel" continues the work started by "The Myth of Sisyphus", going much deeper into the issues related to the meaning of life, art, war, etc. Plays like "Caligula" (1938) or "The Misunderstanding" (1944) are wonderful pieces of art in the history of the theater, while summing up the entire philosophy of Camus. His journalistic articles reveal a Camus involved in society, trying to change something in one way or another through writing. "Reflections on the Guillotine" (1957) for example was an important work that contributed to the abolition of the death penalty in France. Camus never confined his writing to a single specialization, and this can be seen in the skill with which he explored the power of the word in its various forms.

5. Camus the Human – ”The First Man” (incomplete, published 1994) // ”American Journals” (1978) // ”Correspondence (1944–1959)” // ”Notebooks”

At this point, after going through all these readings, we also want to find out who was the man behind the word. Camus put many things from his personal life into writing, but in this selection we have the most personal point of view. ”The First Man” was supposed to be an autobiographical novel, but Camus died before he could finish it. The remaining manuscript was revised and published years after the author's death. "American Journals" captures a highly sensitive moment in his life, an existential crisis in Camus's life. ”Correspondence” is an exchange of letters between Camus and the woman with probably the greatest influence in his life, Maria Casares. Finally, the "Notebooks" are a collection made from the notes that Camus wrote over the years in his countless notebooks. Every intimate thought, beginning of a novel, reflection, trace of feeling, all these complete the image of Camus as a man.

Congratulations! If you have reached this point, you have managed to go through all the stages of knowledge and you can call yourself a true fan of Albert Camus. Now go and spread his teachings to other little outstiders. And don't forget, the only purpose of life is to be happy (reading Camus together).

[alienejj]

I have some pretty books that I can send you pictures of, some of them are vintage and some of them just have pretty skins

pls do??!! i will love u till the end of my days (as long as it's not a bother and u can take your time sending them to me)

[godzilla-reads]

Who is your emotional support classic author?

That classic author you find yourself going back to again and again?

Those books you keep reading more of?

For me, it’s definitely Thomas Hardy. I’m a Far From the Madding Crowd bitch.

[betweenthenotes]

[fragmentsofmymindinwords]

He was as magical as he was sad, that boy. I saw him, clinging to that bottle for dear life, and drinking from it, as if he could drown every burden and all his pain in the burning sensation of the liquid going down his throat and into his stomach, sending him into a blissful state of forgetfulness and numbness.

But I saw it. I saw it, deep into his eyes as he held my wrists and locked his eyes with mine. I saw the sadness and the loneliness he tried so hard to hide. And it was so heartbreaking. He was so young. No one that age should be allowed to feel such sorrow.

However, in that moment, in which he looked at me and time stopped, I realized that he was the spitting image of me when I was his age. Drunk, confused, lonely, and so, so lost. I felt such a strong urge to hold him in my arms and let him cry his pain away until he felt whole again.

He had to leave, though. And, although he left the house that day, he hasn't left my mind since. Something in those big, melancholic eyes told me that I've got to offer him what nobody offered me: a hand to reach out to and a shoulder to cry on. I've got to offer him company, even at the bottom of the pit. Keep him company, be it in heaven, be it in hell.

I have got to help him heal his wounds until they become scars, and then I've got to teach him to love them.

I've got to be, to that boy, what I wish I'd had the most. I've got to be the someone who he knows will always be there for him, no matter who he is or how broken he is.

The drunken boy, gripping that goddamn bottle, his knuckles white, told me all of that, just staring into my eyes. It was just for a moment, but it was enough for me to see. Enough for me to recognize him as someone who once had been me.

[ruffles23]

In science we have been reading the notes to a poem; in Christianity we find the poem itself.

C. S. Lewis

[intothestacks]

How Syphilis affected H.P. Lovecraft's writing

[queer-classic-writers]

Radclyffe Hall (1880-1943)

born Marguerite Antonia Radclyffe Hall, but went by the name John on a daily basis

magnum opus: "The Well of Loneliness"

although Hall's person and work have been described as lesbian, "The Well" and Hall's behaviour were full of what we can now identify as transmasculine behaviour, with "The Well" focusing on the life of a writer resembling very much that of Hall

other works: "Adam's Breed", "The Unlit Lamp", "The Master of the House"

-

“For the sake of all the others who are like you, but less strong and less gifted perhaps, many of them, it's up to you to have the courage to make good.”

“Then Stephen must tell her the cruel truth, she must say: ‘I am one of those whom God marked on the forehead. Like Cain, I am marked and blemished. If you come to me, Mary, the world will abhor you, will persecute you, will call you unclean. Our love may be faithful even unto death and beyond — yet the world will call it unclean. We may harm no living creature by our love; we may grow more perfect in understanding and in charity because of our loving; but all this will not save you from the scourge of a world that will turn away its eyes from your noblest actions, finding only corruption and vileness in you. You will see men and women defiling each other, laying the burden of their sins upon their children. You will see unfaithfulness, lies and deceit among those whom the world views with approbation. You will find that many have grown hard of heart, have grown greedy, selfish, cruel and lustful; and then you will turn to me and will say: “You and I are more worthy of respect than these people. Why does the world persecute us, Stephen?” And I shall answer: “Because in this world there is only toleration for the so-called normal.” And when you come to me for protection, I shall say: “I cannot protect you, Mary, the world has deprived me of my right to protect; I am utterly helpless, I can only love you”.”

("The Well of Loneliness", Radclyffe Hall, 1928)

-

[workingonit-currently]

[rogerclarkaudiobooks]

"Young Eliot: From St. Louis to The Waste Land"

Author: Robert Crawford Narrator: Roger Clark Audiobook Release Date: February 06, 2024 Length: 24 hours, 27 minutes

Care to listen to a sample of this audiobook? Click on the media player below 👇

Publisher's Summary:

Award-winning biographer Robert Crawford's Young Eliot traces the life of the twentieth century's most important poet from his childhood in St. Louis to the publication of his revolutionary poem The Waste Land. Crawford provides listeners with a new understanding of the foundations of some of the most widely read poems in the English language through his depiction of Eliot's childhood as well as through his exploration of Eliot's marriage to Vivien Haigh-Wood, a woman who believed she loved Eliot "in a way that destroys us both." Quoting extensively from Eliot's poetry and prose as well as drawing on new interviews, archives, and previously undisclosed memoirs, Crawford shows how the poet's background in Missouri, Massachusetts, and Paris made him a lightning rod for modernity. Most impressively, Young Eliot reveals the way he accessed his inner life—his anguishes and his fears—and blended them with his omnivorous reading to create his masterpieces "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and The Waste Land. At last, we experience T. S. Eliot in all his tender complexity as student and lover, penitent and provocateur, banker and philosopher-but most of all, Young Eliot shows us as an epoch-shaping poet struggling to make art among personal disasters. ©2015 Robert Crawford (P)2024 Tantor

Young Eliot is available from: Audible ✰ Audiobooks.com ✰ AudiobooksNow.com ✰ AudiobookStore.com ✰ Barnes & Noble ✰ Binge Books ✰ Chirp Books ✰ Everand ✰ Downpour ✰ Google Play ✰ Hoopla ✰ Libro.fm ✰ Overdrive + Libby ✰ Rakuten Kobo

TIP: If you want to find more audiobooks from Roger, you can click on the "Roger's Audiobooks" tag, or you can also check out my pinned post 😉 Happy Listening!

[hornyforpoetry]

Little hidden gems from big russian authors

In the 19th century, Russian culture reached its peak. In this "Russian Golden Age", arts, culture and especially literature became known worldwide. This is a list of small masterpieces written by the great Russian authors of this period.

1. Alexander Pushkin // "Little tragedies" (collection of short plays // 1830)

Pushkin is known as the first great poet of Russia. His realistic writing is combined with romantic, elegant elements. What not many people know is that he also wrote plays. "Little Tragedies" is a fascinating collection of 4 unique plays, later adapted for opera.

2. Mikhail Lermontov // "Masquerade" (theatre play // 1835)

Considered the greatest poet after Pushkin, Lermontov contributed to the enrichment of the Russian language and culture. A great romantic poet, he is also an important playwright. "Masquerade" is a play written in the specific, critical style of Lermontov, in which the idea of freedom and independence is debated.

3. Nikolai Gogol // "Petersburg Tales" (collection of short stories // 1843)

Known for his famous comedies such as "The Government Inspector" and "The Gamblers" and for the novel "Dead Souls", Gogol was an influential Russian writer. The small collection of stories "Petersburg Tales" includes a fascinating series of short stories from different genres.

4. Ivan Turgenev // "A nest of the gentry" ( short novel // 1859)

Turgenev is the Russian writer closest to the Western European literary tradition. Very critical of his fellow Russians, his novels and stories emphasize the decadence of the golden years, the war between generations and the misery of the contemporary spirit. "A nest of gentry" is a small novel easy to read, with a fascinating storyline and complex characters.

5. Fyodor Dostoyevsky // "Notes from the underground" (short novel // 1864)

I think there is no person who has not heard of Dostoevsky. One of the greatest writers of all time, his great novels have been translated into dozens of languages. Known as the faithful Orthodox writer, he develops the idea of the misery of the soul and human suffering. Many consider him the father of existentialism. "Notes from Underground" is a small novel that explores its big themes and is a fascinating read.

6. Lev Tolstoy // "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" (novella // 1886)

Tolstoy easily finds his place next to Dostoevsky. With a precious and analytical style, Tolstoy traverses the Russian bourgeois and aristocratic world and goes deep into both the mind and the soul of his characters. The novella "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" reflects on the serious theme of death in a tormented and poetic way at the same time.

7. Anton Chekhov // "Ward no.6" (novella // 1892)

The last of the great writers of the golden age, Chekhov is known as a great dramatist with an extremely refined and sometimes even dark sense of humor. He wrote most of his life comic stories that he published in satirical magazines. His least known works are the short stories, created in a much more philosophical and meditative style. "Ward no.6" is one of the most special of them, in which the doctor of a small town finds an escape from the monotony of his life in discussions with a patient from the mental ward.

[booksformks]

Penguin Clothbound Classics: Jane Austen Complete Boxed Set

I received the Penguin Clothbound Classics Jane Austen boxed set for free from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. I’m so grateful to Penguin for sending me these beautiful editions! Not only are the covers absolutely gorgeous, the box itself is beautiful too! I love that each book has a ribbon bookmark attached. Each book has a scholarly introduction, a timeline of Jane…

[cerealandchoccymilk]

idk if anyone here gives a shit but reading about the lives of japanese modern era writers is so fun...

(this blue mackarel/peach blossom incident is the most famous fight between dazai osamu and nakahara chuya)

[everythingilearned]

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality: even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against the hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.

Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House