Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Virgin Suicides is at once a lyrical portrait of 90s suburbia and a biting critique of how teenage girls are perceived by society.
Tag: literature
I first discovered Albert Camus’s philosophy when I was 17, pretty depressed and desperate for something to replace the “hope” that hitherto had been provided by religious faith.
Play It As It Lays is one of those books I’ve always seen on recommendation lists with titles like “POV: you’re hot and sad.” So, of course, I decided to give it a read.
Franz Kafka’s “In the Penal Colony” is a surreal and disturbing short story set in an unnamed penal colony. The narrative explores questions of punishment and societal justification, revolving around an elaborate torture/execution device that etches the condemned’s sentence into their skin over twelve hours. The reviewer appreciates Kafka’s ability to create a unique Kafkaesque atmosphere. The book receives 4/5 stars.
The Brothers Karamazov is many things; a romantic drama, a portrait of an important cultural period, and even a murder mystery. But to me, it is first and foremost an exploration of the problem of evil and the paradox of meaning and hope in a world full of suffering.
The Girls was an interesting read. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it; I knew that it was loosely based on the Manson cult and I was interested in it because the psychology of cults really intrigues me, and I also really enjoy reading about the hippie era.
I have always found it interesting that people are so drawn to macabre stories of human evil– why do we like shows like Law and Order or binge true crime podcasts?
I had been procrastinating reading this book for a while, because I was honestly too scared to read it.
There was a time not so long ago when I would have deeply related to this book.
This book was gloriously pretentious, and I loved it.
We’ve all had an existential crisis at least once in our lives.
Usually whenever I remember my dreams they are simultaneously vague and vivid, always somewhat disturbing but with the unmistakable tinge of real life.
Picture this: you’ve been instantaneously transported into 19th century Russia, in the slums of St. Petersburg.
I recently moved into my college dorm to start my freshman year (which is, partly, why I have been so inactive online recently) and in my explorations of the campus I have discovered that the library is especially intriguing.
This was kind of a weird book but nevertheless it was interesting.
There’s a lot to unpack in this book.
So, the narrator of this book is utterly unhinged.
It’s 2022 and the human race hasn’t destroyed itself yet. Let’s take a moment to celebrate.
This book really messed with my head.
Flowers for Algernon is one of the saddest books I have ever read.
Frappes and Fiction 