Three different versions of Thérèse Raquin, three different meanings of Madame Raquin’s life. And yes, I know I am nitpicking, but who would I be if I did not? Also, shouldn’t one nitpick when it comes to great pieces of Art? “She led the life of a recluse. Ignoring the poignant joys and cares of [...]

I can’t read a novel without keeping notes, writing down quotes, and/or keeping track of themes throughout the chunky bundle of paper. Let’s just say it’s a fortunate–unfortunate side effect of reading literary studies, and literatures in English. Anyway, to at least make some good use of those notes, I’ve created The Canonical Notes. With [...]

“Often, the idea that there can be a wide range of translations of one text doesn’t occur to people—or that a translation could be bad, very bad, and unfaithful to the original. Instead, a translation is a translation—you write the book again in English, on the basis of the French, a fairly standard procedure, and [...]

For nine months now, the Autobiography of Mark Twain has been staring at me from that place on my desk, day in, day out, continuously. The thing is creeping me out, to be honest; especially the Volume 1 part. It’s the longest, and most troubled, relationship I’ve ever had. Ah, well. I’ll start reading it [...]

Siri Hustvedt, in this year’s issue of Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art (No. 49), has written an excellent piece on reading and, most importantly, remembering literature. From her observation that “[v]arious texts call for different [reading] strategies” (122), to the fact that we as readers often unconsciously imagine things in literary works that [...]

And I’m back to posting quotes. “Another thirst had come upon him: the thirst for women, for luxury, for everything that life in Paris implies.” — Flaubert, L’Éducation sentimentale.