The ending year was certainly the most productive reading year of my life, spanning a total of 81 books. As follows, I’ve selected the very best, most memorable reading experiences.
book reviews
Literary Escapades. H. G. Wells: ‘The Island of Doctor Moreau’
This novel is in large part a study on the moral boundaries of science: The arguably mad name character performs unscrupulous experiments throughout the book. As the distinctions between humans and animals are dangerously blurred, horrific realities in regards to violence and ruthlessness unravel.
Literary Escapades: Monthly Reviews, 10/2020
Welcome back to the Monthly Reviews series, where I chronologically list last month’s reads, along with a short reflexion and opinion regarding each book.
Here’s a wrap-up of the English books I read in October.
Literary Escapades. Philip Roth: ‘Indignation’
‘Indignation’ is culturally relevant, intellectually challenging and written with wit as any book by Philip Roth. Is Marcus Messner truly a magnificent hero, or yet another insufferably flawed protagonist?
Literary Escapades. Monthly Reviews, 9/2020
Welcome back to the Monthly Reviews series, where I chronologically list last month’s reads, along with a short reflexion and opinion regarding each book.
Here’s what I read in September:
Literary Escapades. Elizabeth McNeill: ‘Nine and a Half Weeks: A Memoir of a Love Affair’
McNeill’s memoir can be interpreted as many things: a sensually macabre narration of BDSM play gone wrong, a cautionary tale on domestic abuse, or a voyeuristic portrayal of a woman discovering her darkest desires. Most certainly and above all, it is a rather scary and yet utterly fascinating story.
Literary Escapades. Monthly Reviews, 8/2020
Welcome back to the Monthly Reviews series, where I chronologically list last month’s reads, along with a short reflexion and opinion regarding each book. Here’s what I read in August.
Literary Escapades. Julian Barnes: ‘The Sense of an Ending’
Barnes’ fictional protagonists are usually looking back on their lives. So when Tony goes looking for his past in ‘The Sense of an Ending’, a reader might not be surprised. A mistake.
Literary Escapades. Monthly Reviews, 7/2020
Welcome back to the Monthly Reviews series, where I chronologically list last month’s reads, along with a short reflexion and opinion regarding each book. Here’s what I read in July:
An Introduction to Estonian Literature, 3: Jaan Kross
Today’s introduction is to a paramount Estonian writer, Jaan Kross. He is the most translated and nationally and internationally best-known Estonian writer, even having been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Literary Escapades. Monthly Reviews, 6/2020
Welcome back to the Monthly Reviews series, where I chronologically list last month’s reads, along with a short reflexion and opinion regarding each book.
Here’s what I read in June:
‘Little Fires Everyhwere’: A unique adaptation from book to series
Celeste Ng’s novel Little Fires Everywhere (2017) is an in-depth study on the darker aspects of female and maternal psychology. The novel has been adapted into a miniseries recently, so let’s compare and contrast.
