Blog
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Nightmarish Utopia
I believe Sir Thomas More meant well when he penned Utopia (1516), but it is quite possibly the worst book I have ever read. Given the standard of living for the majority of human beings in the early 16th century, More’s dream of a perfect nation must have sounded as idyllic as it gets. Yet… Continue reading
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South: Antarctica, Endurance, and WWI
Sir Ernest Shackleton‘s South was my spontaneous “heavy reading” for this spring/summer. At times, my reaction was “What did I myself get into?” It is a long first-person narrative, stylistically tedious, and inherently repetitive–but absolutely worth the commitment. {Note: Be sure to look through photographer Frank Hurley’s book South with Endurance while you read South. … Continue reading
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The Idiot
Russia, mid-1800s. When Prince Myshkin returns to his native country, he is young, naive, and not fully recovered from the physical and mental illnesses that had sent him to Switzerland. A sudden inheritance plunges him headfirst into the Russian aristocracy, and he is unprepared for its gritty reality. Torn between the woman he loves and… Continue reading
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Thoughts on ‘The Idiot’
I am getting very close to finishing this book, and so far, it has been both fascinating and (to my knowledge) truly original. I have a feeling it’s going to end badly–but then again, the plot has not been predictable. It keeps shifting from scene to scene, focusing on specific characters and their problems, with… 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
- 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
- My Favorite Films and Music of 2025
- Ten Books I’d Like to Read (and Possibly Own)
Classics Considered 