literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "Modern Man in Search of a Soul" by Carl Jung
What happens when we strip human life of meaning? Well, according to Jung, everything begins to go wrong for us. From the moment we started to have control over nature, we start to descend in meaning and value. Rationalism may have brought us comfort in understanding, but it has also brought us less meaning in our soul. I'm not going to lie, if a book doesn't define what a 'soul' or a 'spirit' is, then I have no interest in the argument. The issue is that Jung takes us on a journey in which we start to understand what the soul is - or at least, what it is meant to consist of. So even though I don't agree with all of it, I understand where he is coming from when he talks about the subject of a 'soul'. Science can provide us with understanding but cannot answer the larger, more existential questions regarding ourselves.
By Annie Kapurabout 4 hours ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Road Less Travelled" by M. Scott Peck
This book sort of details the same ideas The Marshmallow Test states but with a spiritual flair to it. Whenever someone mentions the 'human spirit' I usually ask for a definition as you'll probably see in that, they can't actually define what it is. With all the 'spiritual' stuff and the illogical thinking which roots itself in clearly, some sort of religious lexicon, I definitely went into the book telling myself I probably wouldn't be agreeing with many of the points put forward and thus, was cynical about the 'spirit' perspective that the book was pushing. However, it did make some interesting arguments regarding everything from delayed gratification to how incredibly important parenting is.
By Annie Kapura day ago in Geeks
The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark
A dark-comic novel which is often regarded as 'sharp', The Ballad of Peckham Rye (1960) displays all of the notes regularly associated with the author Muriel Spark. Set in post-war London, the novel follows the arrival of Dougal Douglas, an enigmatic and manipulative Scottish outsider who disrupts the mundane lives of the working-class community in Peckham. The layered narrative, the explorations of human weakness and the wit are all part and parcel of what makes the novel what it is.
By Annie Kapur2 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "A Voyage for Madmen" by Peter Nichols
"They were neither sportsmen nor yachtsmen. Only one of the nine crossed the finishing line after ten months at sea. The rest encountered despair, sublimity, madness and death". - "A Voyage for Madmen" by Peter Nichols
By Annie Kapur2 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Beats: A Very Short Introduction" by David Sterritt
The series of A Very Short Introduction books are always great for learning new things, but they are also great for checking out things you already knew as well. In this one, I investigated the beat poets, a group of people I have met and met again over the course of the last decade and a half (at least). I read my first ever beat poetry book in my late teens and yet, ever since - I have never really been able to get enough of them. I have often fallen in love with the works of Kerouac whilst not really falling as hard for William S. Burroughs' novels.
By Annie Kapur3 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Dear Dolly" by Dolly Alderton
"...learn to be with yourself now. your future self will thank you..." - Dear Dolly by Dolly Alderton One thing I'm beginning to notice about Dolly Alderton is that she should very quickly make her shift over to fiction in a very Sally Rooney style, because she could do quite well. When I read her book Ghosts - I was impressed at how darkly comical it was. Yet, I found myself a little more underwhelmed when I finished her book Everything I Know About Love. I think that the writing in the latter for me fell emotionally flat and sounded more like the rambling diary of a teenage girl rather than an adult trying to make a point. Dear Dolly though, has a slightly different problem - again it is Dolly Alderton centring herself instead of exploring ideas. It's alright - it is just a bit of a tired gig at this point.
By Annie Kapur4 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Hungerstone" by Kat Dunn
"I have made so many mistakes. I grieve so deeply for myself." - "Hungerstone" by Kat Dunn When it comes to books concerning female rage, there is something incredible about devouring them whole. Recently, I read the book Sugar by Mia Ballard and I have noticed something that I need to make clear in this review as well - just because the first half of a book is well-written and incredible, doesn't mean the whole thing will be. Hungerstone is another case of this happening. The first perhaps 60% of the book is insanely good to read and yet, the denouement and the ending is so deeply disappointing that it very nearly ruins the whole reading experience. A book maybe only as captivating as its beginning, but it is only as memorable as its ending.
By Annie Kapur5 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Sugar" by Mia Ballard
Cheap books on Kindle and warm cups of coffee whilst it rains outside are two great additions to any day. Needless to say, I stayed up quite a while reading this one. The rain had stopped, the coffee was finished and it was probably about 1am. I'm not going to lie, this is definitely my kind of book. Along with novels such as Mrs March by Virginia Feito and Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh (plus others) these books about psycho-women who do their best to get their way really has a hold on me from time to time. This book is no exception. Except for maybe...one, small problem.
By Annie Kapur6 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "How Proust Can Change Your Life" by Alain de Botton
A while ago, I read A Therapeutic Journey by Alain de Botton and reviewed the writing style as being something to be admired. In his book How Proust Can Change Your Life, he details the importance of reading the works of one of the greatest writers of the modern age. We get insights into the strange writer's own life, the details of exercise from his own father and the way in which Marcel Proust himself lived life unconventionally - going through money like water. As we move through the book, there are hints and helper points when it comes to reading Proust - what we should be looking for and how we are meant to find ourselves within his works are just as important as the story we are reading.
By Annie Kapur7 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Dark Side of Genius" by Donald Spoto
There is a certain fear in imprisonment that Alfred Hitchcock surely had, Donald Spoto observes. There is a certain fear of being isolated that was explored in his films and of course, there was something about autobiography that his movies were observed for. Loner, outsider, stranger - Sir Alfred Hitchcock was a man of many sides and his darker parts were worked into the storylines of his motion pictures. Donald Spoto explores the history of Alfred Hitchcock, opening with him receiving a lifetime achievement award and moving all the way backwards into his early life. Each step of the way, we get clues as to how the master of suspense turned out to be such a genius, yet also so dark and awkward in persona.
By Annie Kapur8 days ago in Geeks
