Animal Farm
This novel is one of the ones that showed me what a literary statement could be and how vital writing is during the darkest times. It also showed me the absolute striking beauty of the allegorical tale.
Post-War
Post-war works were written roughly between 1940 and 1960, dealing with the effects and aftermath of World War II. These books deal directly with the socio-economical and individual repercussions of the World Wars, as well as often exploring the cause of the wars.
Post-War German literature often deals with the guilt of the German population after the Third Reich. Post-war Japanese literature often deals with the effects of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many other cultures deal with other nationally specific issues.
Individual experiences are also explored. Post-war literature include works written about the horrors of concentration camps, conscripted army service, the changing role of women in society, and the effects of PTSD.
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Women Crime Writers
Even the whitest of picket fences can hide a twisting darkness. And that very pressure could itself serve as one of the most complex themes of noir — that of dreams deferred and decisions made with extreme regret.
Brideshead Revisisted
I think what primarily draws people to Brideshead Revisited novel is its themes of decadence, ignorance, and privilege.
Who Has Seen the Wind
Who Has Seen the Wind is a boyhood in a space where the farm meets a just-developing urban reality. There’s an extensive cast of characters and a stream of events that flow as steadily and relentlessly as the passage of time, as Mitchell captures the insular nature of village life.
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye is much maligned. Accused of being misogynist, homophobic, and other horrible things, it’s a book that many people have a very strong opinion about one way or another.
The Blood of Others
I think it’s obvious by this discussion alone that this is an incredibly complex concept to even touch on, let alone explore in depth, but de Beauvoir does just that in a way that is accessible to the reader and tied to the driving plot. If you’re interested in the mechanics of building conceptual narratives into concrete storylines, this novel is definitely a must-read.
The Setting Sun
The Setting Sun presents a Japan that has lost its sense of identity as its population tries to pick up the pieces after the end of the second world war. It is a setting that has the sense of being in flux, but not in a positive way.
Miracle on 34th Street
The film was released in 1947, and the book was published in the very same year and it was written by the same man who wrote the story for the film, Valentine Davies.
Nobodaddy’s Children
In some modernist novels that I’ve read, I’ve noticed a particular trade-off that sometimes happens between form and narrative. I was pleased to see that Arno Schmidt is a writer that can perform the delicate balancing act without leaving the narrative behind to do so. This is a review of Nobodaddy’s Children.
The Story of a Real Man
A Story About A Real Man is about a man that actually existed — hence the title. Alexei Maresyev was a Soviet pilot that fought in the second world war and suffered a double amputation. This is a review of Boris Polevoy’s novel.