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The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Edition: LibriVox audiobook (public domain). This was read by David Barnes, who also recorded Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. His reading style is easy to listen to (not too slow or too fast or anything), and I highly recommend it. My overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars. This would probably be… Continue reading
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You know you’ve been reading too much Moby-Dick when…
…you glance at a shopping list and, for a split second, read one of the headings as “Whale Fishery”. What it actually says is “Whole Foods”. Years ago, when I first tried to read this book (and stopped halfway), I thought it was the most boring classic I’d ever read, as well as one of… Continue reading
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Catriona
WARNING: Contains Kidnapped spoilers!!! Catrionaby Robert Louis StevensonEdition: Polygon, paperbackMy overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars The last chapter of Kidnapped was very nearly a complete, happy ending: Alan Breck was soon to escape to freedom in France, and David Balfour outwitted his selfish uncle and finally came into his inheritance. David’s story is… Continue reading
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Kidnapped
Kidnappedby Robert Louis StevensonEdition: Polygon, paperback. HIGHLY recommended–very durable, elegant, and readable. I think it will last much longer than most paperback books.My overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars Scotland, 1751. Sixteen-year-old David Balfour sets out to claim his inheritance from Ebenezer Balfour, a reclusive miser who lives in a dark mansion called “the… Continue reading
About Me

Hi, I’m Marian—I talk about classics, history, and other books on this blog, as well as on YouTube.
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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)
