On Inspiration “The gift which you possess of speaking excellently about Homer is not an art, but, as I was just saying, an inspiration; there is a divinity moving you, like that contained in the stone which Euripides calls a magnet, …This stone not only attracts iron rings, but also imparts to them a similar power of attracting other rings; and sometimes you may see a number of pieces of […]
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“Building The Getty” by Richard Meier
Architect Richard Meier gives a detailed personal account of the building of the Getty Center, one of the most important works of architecture in recent history, which took 13 years to complete and cost one billion dollars. Meier’s design philosophy emphasizes the human scale, freedom of movement, the experience of space and light as one moves around in the building, the relationships between solid and void, between openness and closure, […]
Read more“The Great Divorce” by C. S. Lewis
Lewis takes the readers on a fantasy bus ride from hell to heaven, and describes what he believes to be the fundamental difference between good and evil, and the difference in traits between people in heaven and hell. I like the way Lewis uses imageries to illustrate theological concepts, and the dialogues of his characters are also very entertaining and revealing. During the bus ride, one encounters all sorts of […]
Read more“The Kreutzer Sonata” by Leo Tolstoy
One of the most controversial and censored works by Tolstoy. By the mouth of a man who killed his wife out of jealousy, Tolstoy launched a scathing attack on society’s views and practices with regard to relationships, sex, marriage and child-raising. He even included many materials from his own life and marriage – Like the man in the story, Tolstoy also showed his wife his “memoir” and suffered intensely from […]
Read more“Twenty-Three Tales” by Leo Tolstoy
Also Read: “What Men Live By and Other Tales” by Leo Tolstoy A collection of twenty-three parables which teach the principles of life and virtues such as temperance, courage, perseverance, simplicity, forgiveness and love. Whatever Tolstoy writes, whether it be love stories, war epics or moral tales, it always leaves a deep impression on the reader. The tales are edifying and entertaining without being overly didactic or sentimental. There is […]
Read more“Family Happiness” by Leo Tolstoy
In all his other novels I’ve read, Tolstoy was a third-person omniscient narrator, but here he used a first-person narrative as a young woman. Is it conceivable that Tolstoy, who was 31 when he wrote this, knew all the feelings and thoughts of a 17-year-old girl? I was incredulous, and only after many paragraphs into the story did I get used to the narrative. It’s a beautiful story of the […]
Read more“Father Sergius” by Leo Tolstoy
This book should definitely be adapted into movies for the modern viewers, and I fancy there can be at least two different versions, depending on the targeted audience. The R-rated version: The hero is a handsome, passionate prince with an uncontrollable temper, who attracts women everywhere and gets into fights (verbal and physical) with men. There would be plenty of scenes of sexual tension, seduction and violence (with blood spills […]
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