Blog
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Profound Ordinariness: Natsume Sōseki’s The Gate, Concluded (no spoilers)
Previously, I wrote about the first half of The Gate (1910), where I was introduced to Sōsuke and his wife Oyone. These two protagonists live a mundane, secluded life, where making ends meet is often the subject of conversation. Sōsuke’s brother Koroku introduces a mild conflict as he attempts to find ways to continue his… Continue reading
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Summer Reading Plans
Summer is well under way, but FWIW, I thought I’d share some upcoming books I plan to tackle. Continue reading
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Steppenwolf, Concluding Rant
See Review Part 1, spoiler free The second half of Steppenwolf takes quite a drastic turn. Leaving the funeral behind, our narrator Harry Haller—at the lowest of low spirits—wanders the streets and ends up at a bar, where he meets an attractive, spirited young woman. Through Hermine, he is reminded he is living in the… Continue reading
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Sōseki’s The Gate & Hesse’s Steppenwolf: Halfway Impressions
I’m approximately halfway through two novels: The Gate (1910) by Natsume Sōseki and Steppenwolf (1927) by Hermann Hesse. By sheer coincidence, these are novels in which seemingly nothing happens. “Rotten luck,” you might say. But so far, I am rather enjoying both books. It could be that those in a flustered state of mind (as… Continue reading
About Me
Hi, I’m Marian—I talk about classics, history, and other books on this blog, as well as on YouTube.
Currently Reading
Recent Posts
- Emo Classics – Bronte, Woolf, and Kierkegaard
- What I’m Reading – It’s Almost March Edition
- What I’m Reading – Morning Coffee Edition
- Oddly Specific Things I Love in Books (and a Few Movies)
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – A Long Overdue Review
Classics Considered 