Tag Archives: Human Drama

Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

British Literature April 13, 2010 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. Review: This is my third time reading JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed it more. I’ve been following along with The Tolkien Professor’s podcasted course, and the background I got from finally reading and actually comprehending The Silmarillion really enhanced the depth of pleasure I received once diving back into Frodo’s familiar world.…

The Long Walk by Stephen King (Richard Bachman)

American Literature October 29, 2007 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: 100 young men begin a walk that will not end until there is only one survivor, who will win everything he wants for the rest of his life. Review: I’ve read The Long Walk a bunch of times. It’s one of the best of the books Stephen King wrote under the name of Richard Bachman, a short, tight novella that contains a universe of human drama. The other one worth reading is, of course The Running Man, made into that great rainy Saturday movie…

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

British Literature September 6, 2007 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: One man’s harrowing journey up the Congo in search of enlightenment. Review: Blogging really wasn’t invented for talking about a book like Heart of Darkness. I am utterly incapable of coming up with anything approaching an instant reaction to this book. I need to sit with it for a long time, then read it again, then sit with it some more, then read it again. Then maybe I can talk about it. I promise to let you know if I come up with anything…

Breathing Water by T. Greenwood

American Literature August 30, 2007 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: After learning of the death of her abusive ex-boyfriend, a woman returns to the home by the lake she once loved to build a new life and exorcise old ghosts. Review: I am a very big fan of T. Greenwood’s second novel, Nearer than the Sky, and I have no excuse for why it took me so long to read Breathing Water, her debut. Simply put, Greenwood is a beautiful prose stylist who isn’t afraid to explore dark and scary places with characters who…

Juliet by Andras Visky (and a New York Event)

Eastern European Literature August 8, 2007 Superfast Reader

I’m very excited to report that Andras Visky’s one-woman play Juliet is now available for purchase. I had the tremendous pleasure of seeing this play earlier this spring, and was blown away by it.

Where Angels Fear to Tread by EM Forster

British Literature August 7, 2007 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: An English society family is thrown into turmoil when one of their own marries a shifty Italian, and they’ll do anything to see that their child is raised properly–that is, in England. Review: EM Forster has been my latest classic discovery. I’d never read anything of his before last year, and I’m completely in love. Where Angels Fear to Tread is a short book that made me linger over every word, to my tremendous delight.

A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine

British Literature July 28, 2007 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A long ago summer idyll at a manor-turned-commune ended in tragedy, and the recent discovery of the bones of a woman and a baby threaten the secrets carefully guarded by the young man who inherited the home. Review: It may be a lesser Barbara Vine, but A Fatal Inversion is still an above average read.

Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson

American Literature July 26, 2007 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: When Frances’s birth mother contacts her asking to “finish it,” Frances must come to terms with the terrible crime that caused their separation, and learn how to forge her own path in life. Review: I devoured Breathe My Name, which will be published in early November 2007 by Razorbill. Not only is it an outstanding coming-of-age tale, Breathe My Name has a gorgeous, poignant love story that really drew me in. This is one I’m happy to give some advance praise to!

After the First Death by Robert Cormier

On Reading May 2, 2007 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: The fates of two young men collide on a bridge when a group of terrorists take over a schoolbus filled with children.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

American Literature April 4, 2007 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: By refusing to sell chocolates in the annual school sale, one high school freshman learns whether or not his universe can bear to be shaken. Review: The Chocolate War is the first of my books for the Banned Books Challenge, hosted by The Pelham Library. I have read Cormier’s books a number of times since first encountering them in middle school, and I’m still amazed at the power that they have to shock, wound, and enlighten.

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i read all the books